Chapter 9, Problem 28EAP

Surprising Discoveries?

Suppose we were to make the following discoveries. (These are not real discoveries.) In ligh of your understanding of planetary geology, decide whether the discovery should be considered reasonable or surprising. (In some cases, both view can be defended.) Explain your answer, if possible tracing your logic back to the terrestrial worlds' fundamental properties of size, distance from the Sun, and rotation rate.

28. We find a planet in another solar system that has Earth-like seafloor crust and continental crust but apparently lacks plate tectonics or any other kind of crustal motio.