Terrestrial planet surfaces and interiors

TL;DR

This paper reviews the surfaces and interiors of Solar System rocky planets, highlighting their structural similarities and differences to understand planetary evolution and geological processes.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of planetary layers and recent discoveries, enhancing understanding of planetary diversity and evolution.

Findings

Major discoveries have advanced understanding of planetary structures.

Differences in layer thicknesses reflect diverse evolutionary paths.

Geological processes shape each planet's surface uniquely.

Abstract

Rocky planets in our Solar System, namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the Moon, which is generally added to this group due to its geological complexity, possess a solid surface and share a common structure divided into major layers, namely a silicate crust, a silicate mantle, and an iron-rich core. However, while all terrestrial planets share a common structure, the thickness of their interior layers, their bulk chemical composition, and surface expressions of geological processes are often unique to each of them. In this chapter we provide an overview of the surfaces and interiors of rocky planets in the Solar System. We list some of the major discoveries in planetary exploration and discuss how they have helped to answer fundamental questions about planetary evolution while at the same time opening new avenues. For each of the major planetary layers, i.e., the surface, the crust and lithosphere, the mantle, and the core, we review key geological and geophysical processes that have shaped the planets that we observe today. Understanding the similarities and differences between the terrestrial planets in the Solar System will teach us about the diversity of evolutionary paths a planet could follow, helping us to better understand our own home, the Earth.