Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2025
06:48
Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves
Published on: May 10, 2020
3.5K
Decoding planetary surfaces by counting cracks
S Silver1, K Regős2,3, D J Jerolmack1,4
1Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Summary
Planetary fracture patterns reveal their origins. Analyzing crack junction geometry using a dynamical model helps identify water-influenced environments, like Europa and Mars.
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Geophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Planetary surfaces often exhibit fracture networks, forming 2D tessellations of convex polygons.
- The geometry of these fracture mosaics encodes information about their formation processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the geometry of 2D fracture mosaics across the solar system.
- To decode the formative conditions of these fracture networks using a new dynamical crack model.
Main Methods:
- Charting the geometry of planetary fracture mosaics.
- Projecting mosaics onto a Symbolic Ternary Diagram based on junction types (T, X, Y).
- Utilizing a new dynamical crack model to interpret fracture genesis.
Main Results:
- Most planetary mosaics exhibit hierarchical fracture networks, characterized by a prevalence of T junctions.
- Europa's fracture networks are unique, showing a predominance of X junctions, linked to ice and water refreezing.
- Some Martian fracture networks show a high proportion of Y junctions, consistent with cyclic volume changes.
Conclusions:
- The relative proportions of T, X, and Y junctions in fracture mosaics are uniquely related to distinct fracture modes.
- Fracture network geometry can serve as an indicator of past or present water presence on planets.
- Counting cracks and analyzing their junctions offers a novel method for identifying other water-influenced planetary environments.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Microcracking in Concrete
96
Microcracking in concrete refers to the tiny cracks that can form within the material even before any external load is applied. These microcracks typically occur at the interface between the coarse aggregate and the hydrated cement paste, often as a result of differential volume changes prompted by variations in stress-strain behavior, as well as thermal and moisture movement. Initially, these microcracks remain stable and do not grow substantially until the concrete is stressed to about 30...
96
01:24Acceleration due to Gravity on Other Planets
4.0K
The gravitational acceleration of an object near the Earth's surface is called the acceleration due to gravity. It can be measured by conducting simple experiments on Earth. However, such an experiment is impossible to conduct on the surface of other planets.
Astronomical observations are thus used to measure the acceleration due to gravity on other planets. This can be determined by observing the effect of a planet's gravity on objects close to it. The crucial factor that helps in this...
Astronomical observations are thus used to measure the acceleration due to gravity on other planets. This can be determined by observing the effect of a planet's gravity on objects close to it. The crucial factor that helps in this...
4.0K
02:18X-ray Crystallography
23.7K
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
23.7K
01:19Magnetic Field Lines
4.0K
The representation of magnetic fields by magnetic field lines is very useful in visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. Each of the magnetic field lines forms a closed loop. The field lines emerge from the north pole (N), loop around to the south pole (S), and continue through the bar magnet back to the north pole.
Magnetic field lines follow several hard-and-fast rules:
Magnetic field lines follow several hard-and-fast rules:
4.0K
01:10Detection of Black Holes
2.2K
Although black holes were theoretically postulated in the 1920s, they remained outside the domain of observational astronomy until the 1970s.
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...
2.2K
01:10Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion
3.8K
In the early 17th century, German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler postulated three laws for the motion of planets in the solar system. He formulated his first two laws based on the observations of his forebears, Nikolaus Copernicus and Tycho Brahe.
Polish astronomer Nikolaus Copernicus put forth a theory that stated a heliocentric model for the solar system. According to this heliocentric theory, all the planets, including Earth, orbit the Sun in circular orbits.
On the other hand,...
Polish astronomer Nikolaus Copernicus put forth a theory that stated a heliocentric model for the solar system. According to this heliocentric theory, all the planets, including Earth, orbit the Sun in circular orbits.
On the other hand,...
3.8K