An Introduction to the Solar System

✍ Scribed by David A. Rothery (editor), Neil McBride (editor), Iain Gilmour (editor)

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2018
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 443
• Edition: 3
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Ongoing advances in Solar System exploration continue to reveal its splendour and diversity in remarkable detail. This undergraduate-level textbook presents fascinating descriptions and colour images of the bodies in the Solar System, the processes that occur upon and within them, and their origins and evolution. It highlights important concepts and techniques in boxed summaries, while questions and exercises are embedded at appropriate points throughout the text, with full solutions provided. Written and edited by a team of practising planetary scientists, this third edition has been updated to reflect our current knowledge. It is ideal for introductory courses on the subject, and is suitable for self-study. The text is supported by online resources, hosted at www.cambridge.org/solarsystem3, which include selected figures from the book, self-assessment questions and sample tutor assignments, with outlines of suggested answers.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 A TOUR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
1.1 A grand tour
1.2 The formation of the Solar System
1.3 The layout of the Solar System
1.4 Physical properties of Solar System bodies
1.5 Summary of Chapter 1
CHAPTER 2 THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE TERRESTRIAL PLANETS
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Investigating Earth’s internal structure
2.3 Origins of planets and of planetary layering
2.4 Turning up the heat – how to ‘cook’ a planet
2.5 Dead or alive? Plate tectonics and resurfacing
2.6 Summary of Chapter 2
CHAPTER 3 PLANETARY VOLCANISM – ULTIMA THULE?
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Styles of volcanism on Earth
3.3 Factors affecting extraterrestrial volcanic eruptions
3.4 Volcanism on the terrestrial planets and planet-like bodies
3.5 Summary of Chapter 3
CHAPTER 4 PLANETARY SURFACE PROCESSES
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Historical background
4.3 The impact process
4.4 Identifying impacts
4.5 Impactors and targets
4.6 Craters as chronometers
4.7 Fluvial and aeolian processes
4.8 Summary of Chapter 4
CHAPTER 5 ATMOSPHERES OF TERRESTRIAL PLANETS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Exploration
5.3 Composition of the atmospheres
5.4 Atmospheric structure
5.5 Cloud formation
5.6 Atmospheric motion
5.7 Ionospheres and magnetospheres
5.8 Summary of Chapter 5
CHAPTER 6 THE GIANT PLANETS
6.1 Introduction
6.2 The structures of the giant planets
6.3 Jupiter and Saturn
6.4 Uranus and Neptune
6.5 Summary of Chapter 6
CHAPTER 7 MINOR BODIES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Orbits and Kepler’s laws
7.3 Asteroids
7.4 Centaurs and the Kuiper Belt
7.5 Comets
7.6 Interplanetary dust
7.7 Summary of Chapter 7
CHAPTER 8 THE ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Physical formation processes
8.3 Summary of Chapter 8
CHAPTER 9 METEORITES: A RECORD OF FORMATION
9.1 Introduction
9.2 The forensic record
9.3 Summary of Chapter 9
ANSWERS AND COMMENTS
APPENDICES
GLOSSARY
FURTHER READING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FIGURE REFERENCES
INDEX