Name: 

Astronomy 3 - Problem Set 5

1. Describe three distinctive regions in the earth interior.  How do
   we get detailed information on the interior of the Earth?
                                                                                
2. During the 1989 Loma Pieta earth quake, AY3 students sensed 
  an side-way shake 3 seconds before a much larger amplitude 
  rolling motion.  Based on the information that P and S waves 
  travel at 10 and 5 km/s, determine the distance of the 
  epicenter from Santa Cruz.
                                                                                3. What are the three possible sources of heat which led to the molten
   interior of the Earth? Why is the core of the Moon cold and
   solidified whereas that of the Earth is hot and molten?


4.  Suppose Mars turn out to have a mass and size comparable to the
  Moon.  How would these characteristics affect the number of geological
  features due to each of the four major geological processes? Would Mars
  still be a good candidate for harboring extraterrestrial life?

5.  In a recent investigation to determine the age of Mars' southern 
  hemisphere, the age of the Martian crust there was determined with 
  radiometric dating of the surface rocks.  This finding turned out to 
  differ from the age of this region estimated from the comparison between
  its crater density with that of the Moon.  Which technique seems to be more
  reliable? Which technique is more practical? Explain.

6. With its peak towering over 26 kilometers and base covering over
  600 kilometers, Olympus Mons is the largest shield volcano in the
  solar system.  Why is it not possible for such a high volcanic mountain
  to stand on the Earth?  

7.  There are many evidences which suggest water once flow on the surface 
  of the Mars.  What does this finding imply in the ancient atmosphere of Mars?
  Where did most of this water go?  How does loss of water relate to the red
  color of the Martian surface?

8.  The temperature of a planet's surface exposed to the Sun is inversely
  proportional to the square root of its distance D from the Sun.  The
  semi major axis of Mercury and Saturn are 0.4 and 10 AU respectively.
  If the day-time temperature and the associated thermal velocity on
  Mercury at this distance are 500 K and 5 km/s respectively, what are
  their values on Saturn?  What about their values on the day side of
  Saturn's moon Titan? Although Mercury has a larger mass and smaller
  radius than Titan, Mercury does not have any significant atmosphere
  whereas the atmosphere on Titan has comparable pressure and density to
  those of the Earth atmosphere. Can you suggest why this may be the case?