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Science 3 July 1981:
Vol. 213. no. 4503, pp. 62 - 76
DOI: 10.1126/science.213.4503.62
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Articles

Tectonic Evolution of the Terrestrial Planets

James W. Head 1 and Sean C. Solomon 2

1 Professor of geology, Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
2 Associate professor of geophysics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139

The style and evolution of tectonics on the terrestrial planets differ substantially. The style is related to the thickness of the lithosphere and to whether the lithosphere is divided into distinct, mobile plates that can be recycled into the mantle, as on Earth, or is a single spherical shell, as on the moon, Mars, and Mercury. The evolution of a planetary lithosphere and the development of plate tectonics appear to be influenced by several factors, including planetary size, chemistry, and external and internal heat sources. Vertical tectonic movement due to lithospheric loading or uplift is similar on all of the terrestrial planets and is controlled by the local thickness and rheology of the lithosphere. The surface of Venus, although known only at low resolution, displays features both similar to those on Earth (mountain belts, high plateaus) and similar to those on the smaller planets (possible impact basins). Improved understanding of the tectonic evolution of Venus will permit an evaluation of the relative roles of planetary size and chemistry in determining evolutionary style.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Extraterrestrial impacts on earth: the evidence and the consequences.
R. A. F. Grieve (1998)
Geological Society, London, Special Publications 140, 105-131
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The Shape and Internal Structure of the Moon from the Clementine Mission.
M. T. Zuber, M. T. Zuber, D. E. Smith, F. G. Lemoine, and G. A. Neumann (1994)
Science 266, 1839-1843
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Evidence for Divergent Plate-Boundary Characteristics and Crustal Spreading on Venus.
J. W. Head, J. W. HEAD III, and L. S. CRUMPLER (1987)
Science 238, 1380-1385
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Venus: Volcanism and Rift Formation in Beta Regio.
D. B. Campbell, D. B. CAMPBELL, J. W. HEAD, J. K. HARMON, and A. A. HINE (1984)
Science 226, 167-170
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Reports: Venus: Identification of Banded Terrain in the Mountains of Ishtar Terra.
D. B. Campbell, D. B. CAMPBELL, J. W. HEAD, J. K. HARMON, and A. A. HINE (1983)
Science 221, 644-647
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