planetary geology

[RonMaverick]

<p>hi im just wondering if anyone here knows a lot about planetary geology.&nbsp; i dont know much about it other than the basic definitin.&nbsp; is it practical?&nbsp; what kind of jobs does one get?&nbsp; assuming you have to take astronomy first is there anything i should start studying now in order to get a good feel for what the field is like?&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>How would planetary geology work for outter planets like Neptune & Uranus that do not really have a surface? this sounds very fun and exciting to study i hope someone can answer some of my questions thanks! </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[3488]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'><font color="#ff0000">hi im just wondering if anyone here knows a lot about planetary geology.&nbsp; i dont know much about it other than the basic definitin.&nbsp; is it practical?&nbsp; what kind of jobs does one get?&nbsp; assuming you have to take astronomy first is there anything i should start studying now in order to get a good feel for what the field is like?&nbsp; &nbsp;How would planetary geology work for outter planets like Neptune & Uranus that do not really have a surface? this sounds very fun and exciting to study i hope someone can answer some of my questions thanks! <br />Posted by RonMaverick</font></DIV></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Hi RonMaverick,</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>I am no expert&nbsp;myself, but can inform you that certainly at least a basic understanding of the architecture of the Solar System is useful. So yes, get some Astronony cred behind you certainly.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Another point is getting to understand geology & geological processes in general.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Main topics Faulting, differing types of faults, plate tectonics (rifting, subduction) volcanism (silicate & cryovolcanism), mountain building</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Plate Tectonics (subduction zones, rifting, etc), Volcanism (hot spot, check Yellowstone, Hawaii, Galapagos),&nbsp;subduction check Andes, Alaska, Cascades, etc, rift volcanism, check Erte Ale, Afar Region&nbsp;in Ethiopia, Iceland, etc), Sedimentary processes, erosion, mountain building.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Impact cratering is a must.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Regarding the outer solar system, there is no shortage of geology. Io: Volcanism & faulting. Europa, Ganymede, Dione, Titania, Ariel, Miranda: Faulting, Enceladus, Titan, Triton (possibly Dione & Ariel too): Cryovolcanism, Oberon: cryovolcanic flooding. Callisto, Umbriel, Rhea, Tethys, Iapetus: impact cratering.</strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Venus, Earth, Mars, Io, Iapetus: Mountain building, varying types.<br /></strong></font></p><p><font size="2"><strong>Mercury has experienced impact cratering & volcanism, not to mention some of the largest faulting known.</strong></font></p><p><strong><font size="2">Also check out Differentiation. I.e the Earth is layered inside (Inner Core, Outer Core, Lower Mantle, Upper Mantle, Crust), Mercury, Venus, The Moon, Mars, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, Dione, Titan (with evidence that Ariel, Titania, Oberon & Triton)&nbsp;all are.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font size="2">Callisto, Rhea, Tethys, Iapetus&nbsp;(possibly Umbriel) are not.</font></strong></p><p><strong><font size="2">Andrew Brown.</font></strong></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[tfwthom]

<p>This is an observing&nbsp;friend of mine up in Flagstaff.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/About/People/BrentArchinal/</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As you can see Brent has spent a lot of time in school. When I talked to him back in July he was working on mapping the Moon using all the date collected so far. (he said that if we plan on going back we needed better "maps" then what we used back in the 60s)</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>hi im just wondering if anyone here knows a lot about planetary geology.&nbsp; i dont know much about it other than the basic definitin.&nbsp; is it practical?&nbsp; what kind of jobs does one get?&nbsp; assuming you have to take astronomy first is there anything i should start studying now in order to get a good feel for what the field is like?&nbsp; &nbsp;How would planetary geology work for outter planets like Neptune & Uranus that do not really have a surface? this sounds very fun and exciting to study i hope someone can answer some of my questions thanks! <br />Posted by RonMaverick</DIV></p><p>Hi Ron</p><p>There are maany roads into planetary geology.&nbsp; But the best road is to do a geology degree first, at a university that gives a good, all ground geology degree.&nbsp; If you can do some astronomy, physics and chemistry among your other subjects then good.&nbsp; You&nbsp; can&nbsp;then do a post-graduate course in planetary science. As a post graduate student you will get to work on data from actual missions, possibly the first person to do so, and make some discoveries.</p><p>If you have a geology degree you knowthat&nbsp;if you don't get a job in planetary geology you will be able to get one in terrestrial geology.&nbsp; Not enough planetary scientists understand our own planet from first hand experience anyway.</p><p>There are other ways into planetary science as well.&nbsp; Some study astronomy, some meteorology, oceanography, or geophysics and then move into planetary science.</p><p>Jon<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>