Compare and contrast the interior of the Earth with one other planet

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Geology

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Oct 30, 2023

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Compare and contrast the interior of the Earth with one other planet/planetoid/moon of your choosing. How can seismic waves be used to explore the structure of the Earth compared to the planet you have chosen? Earth is composed of a solid inner core surrounded by a molten iron and nickel outer core. This molten layer allows the inner core to rotate freely from the lower mantle. The solid iron core forms crystals on the outside that are thought to align with north and south while the crystals formed inside the core align east and west. This study suggests that in the past the core had rotated and changed position (Tarbuck, 2019). The D” layer separates the outer core from the lower mantle, there are areas of varying temperatures and compositions. It is theorized the cooler areas are the remains of subducted oceanic lithosphere subducting into the lower mantle while the hot areas are the areas with rising mantle plumes. This layer is possibly partially melted with a 30% decrease in S wave velocities traveling through. The lower mantle made up of olivine and pyroxene, is separated from the upper mantle by the transition zone. The transition zone is noted because there is a change in s wave velocities traveling through this layer due to the pressure this layer is put under rearranging the olivine to form a denser layer (Tarbuck, 2019). The upper mantle is composed of the asthenosphere and the lithosphere. Both the asthenosphere and lithosphere are composed of similar material, where the asthenosphere is a hot and weak layer above the transition layer due to the temperature differences. The lithosphere is a stronger and cooler layer above the asthenosphere that is then topped with oceanic crust or continental crust. We know these layers exist in the earth without drilling to them because of seismic waves

from earthquakes. These waved are reflected and refracted off different layers in the earth and we can track these waves with different stations across the world. When s waves travel through different densities or compositions and are refracted, we can measure at what depth their trajectory changed. Looking at data from past episodes were able to map the layers and thicknesses of the earth. If we compare Jupiter, the fifth and largest plant from the sun, we can see some similarities and differences. Jupiter’s atmosphere is made up of hydrogen and helium with clouds of ammonia and water. The red spot that is seen on the surface is a giant storm that has lasted hundreds of years. Jupiter is a gas giant that has 80 moons and has rings surrounding it. The rings are thought to be dust kicked up from meteorites hitting the inner most moons. Jupiter formed around the same time as earth 4.5 billion years ago when gas and dust were pulled into the swirling giant by gravity. The giant pulled in most of the material and mass left over from the creation of the sun, it has the composition of a star but not the size to ever have ignited (NASA, 2022). Pressure and temperature have compressed the hydrogen gas into a liquid, giving the planet an ocean of hydrogen. As the hydrogen is further compressed near the center of the planet, electrons are squeezed from the hydrogen and make the liquid a conductor like metal giving the planet its magnetic field (NASA,

2022). The center of the planet is still up for debate on if it is compressed into a solid material or is a molten super-heated mix of iron and silicate minerals, like quartz. There is no outer crust of Jupiter, there is nothing solid for us to land on and the pressure and temperatures in the inner planet would crush and vaporize anything flying through. Since Jupiter lacks tectonic plates and any solid surface for an earthquake to originate seismic waves are used in a different way to look at gaseous planets and stars. Starquakes are the result of turbulence in convections zones in gaseous stars and planets, this rings the planet like a bell (Newton,2011). Jupiter fast rotation proves an issue with the planet rotating in 9.93 hours (NASA,2022). Doppler spectrometry was used to measure the surface of Jupiter moving like breaths in and out, doppler shifts are observed and require precision to get accurate readings. They consist of measuring the redshift and blueshift of a spectral line (Newton,2011). Seismographic Imaging Interferometer for Monitoring of Planetary Atmosphere is used now because it requires less precision with the rotation, in 2011 a signal was observed and attribute it to acoustic or pressure waves. This suggests a rocky core surrounded with metallic hydrogen and a dense hydrogen and helium atmosphere (Newton,2011). With more studies and data, further discoveries of Jupiter’s interior are possible. References NASA. (2022, October 17). In depth . NASA. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter/in- depth/#:~:text=The%20composition%20of%20Jupiter%20is,of%20hydrogen%20instead %20of%20water . Newton, E. (2011, July 5). Quakes on Jupiter: A new look at a familiar object . astrobites. https://astrobites.org/2011/07/05/quakes-on-jupiter-a-new-look-at-a-familiar-object/ Tarbuck, E. J., Lutgens, F. K., Tasa, D. G., & Linneman, S. (2019). Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology (13th ed.). Pearson Education (US). https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9780135210109

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