Mantle differentiation and thermal evolution of Mars, Mercury, and Venus

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90103-Z· OSTI ID:5586863

Spohn, T ^[1]

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1. Muenster, Universitaet (Federal Republic of Germany)

In the present models for the thermal evolution of Mercury, Venus, and Mars encompass core and mantle chemical differentiation, lithospheric growth, and volcanic heat-transfer processes. Calculation results indicate that crust and lithosphere thicknesses are primarily dependent on planet size as well as the bulk concentration of planetary radiogenic elements and the lithosphere's thermal conductivity. The evidence for Martian volcanism for at least 3.5 Gyr, and in Mercury for up to 1 Gyr, in conjunction with the presence of a magnetic field on Mercury and its absence on Mars, suggest the dominance of a lithospheric conduction heat-transfer mechanism in these planets for most of their thermal history; by contrast, volcanic heat piping may have been an important heat-transfer mechanism on Venus. 50 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5586863
• Journal Information: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (United States), Journal Name: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (United States) Vol. 90; ISSN 0019-1035; ISSN ICRSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DIMENSIONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MARS PLANET
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MERCURY PLANET
MORPHOLOGY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETARY EVOLUTION
PLANETS
SIZE
SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION
SURFACES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THICKNESS
VENUS PLANET
VOLCANOES