FAULTS AND TECTONICS

Many planetary surfaces have been fractured, faulted, or folded. This deformation is directly related to processes taking place in the interiors of planets, especially changes in the shape or volume of a planet or convection (mixing) in the interior. Some planets have experienced little deformation, others more. The Earth is the only planet (besides Europa and possibly Venus) where extensive strike-slip faulting has occurred. These stereo views were constructed from images obtained by astronauts onboard t he space shuttle, or by spacecraft orbiting or passing each planet.

Click on the images to view at full resolution.
Images should be viewed using red-blue stereo glasses.

[  Mercury  |   Venus  |   Earth  |   Moon  

[  Mars  |   Jupiter  |   Saturn  |   Uranus  ]

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Mercury

SITE: Discovery Rupes
REGION: Discovery Quadrangle
PLANET: Mercury
FEATURES: Volcanic Plains
Thrust Scarps
Impact Craters

Venus

SITE: Corona
REGION: Ovda Regio
PLANET: Venus
FEATURES: Corona
Extensional faults

Earth

SITE: Sierra Madre Oriental
REGION: Monterrey, Mexico
PLANET: Earth
FEATURES: Fold belts

Moon

SITE: Montes Haemus
REGION: Mare Serenitatis
SATELLITE: Moon
PLANET: Earth
FEATURES: Basin rim
Volcanic pits
Graben
Wrinkle ridges

Mars

SITE: Acheron Fossae
REGION: Arcadia Planitia
PLANET: Mars
FEATURES: Graben
Extensional faults

Jupiter

SITE: Euboea Montes
REGION: Tarsus Regio
SATELLITE: Io
PLANET: Jupiter
FEATURES: Mountain
Landslide
Caldera

Saturn

REGION: Aeneas Region
SATELLITE: Dione
PLANET: Saturn
FEATURES: Impact craters
Smooth plains
Extensional faults

Uranus

SITE: Inverness Corona
REGION: Southern Hemisphere
SATELLITE: Miranda
PLANET: Saturn
FEATURES: Extensional faults
Lava flows
Impact craters

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Image processing by Paul Schenk, David Gwynn, and James Tutor, Lunar and Planetary Institute.

©Lunar and Planetary Institute, 2000