• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Space / How Did Land Form On Other Planets In the Solar System and How Do We Find Evidence of Volcanic Activity?

How Did Land Form On Other Planets In the Solar System and How Do We Find Evidence of Volcanic Activity?

July 11, 2020 by Karen Hill

We look at the way land, terra in Latin, was formed on Earth to understand how the surfaces of other terrestrial planets evolved.

Volcanoes created most of Earth’s terrain.

Molten material from Earth’s mantle bubbled up 4 billion years ago to form the first continents.

On Mercury, land ridges provide evidence of extreme volcanic activity in the past. Olympus Mons, the largest known mountain in the solar system, is one of many extinct volcanoes on Mars.

Whether there are any active volcanoes left is a matter of debate.

Between 1990 and 1992, the space probe Magellan received radar signals from Venus’s surface that indicated it was largely formed by volcanic activity.

Signs of former lava flows, volcanic explosions, and hot gases spewing from underground were detected.

Earthquakes, which contribute to the shaping of landscapes, occur primarily because Earth’s terrain rests on shifting plates, called tectonic plates.

The shifts create tension in underground rock, which is released through quakes.

Today, earthquakes are believed to be unique to Earth, though Mars probably experienced them long ago. Volcanoes can also set off tremors, which probably happened on Mercury, Venus, and Mars.

Craters are found on all terrestrial planets, for example, Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona.

They resulted from collisions with asteroids.

Related Facts

  • Are There Planets In Other Solar Systems and Is There Any Evidence That Other Solar Systems Have Planets?
  • History of Subways
  • What Is Jupiter’s Moon Io Like and Why Does Io Have So Much Volcanic Activity On Its Surface?
  • What Is the Tallest Mountain and Volcano In the Solar System and Is There Still Volcanic Activity On Mars?
  • What Are the Inner Planets and What Are the Names Of the Four Inner Planets In Our Solar System?
  • How Did Land On Planet Earth Develop and How Did Volcanic Activity and Basalt Help Create the Earth’s Crust?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Are the Phases of the Planet Mercury and Why Do Inferior Planets Have Phases Like the Moon?
Next Post: What Is the Planet Mercury Made of and How Do Astronomers Know If Mercury’s Core Is Molten? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy