Planetary Geology
Period: first semester
Course Units Contents:
- Comparative geology among terrestrial planets
- Impact cratering and crater chronology
- Moon: topography, internal structure, cratering, volcanism and tectonism, surface
composition and volatiles, origin and evolution, main science objectives of moon
exploration.
- Mercury: physiographic provinces and geological units, internal structure, tectonic
and volcanic features, cratering, surface composition and volatiles, origin and
evolution.
- Venus: topography, tectonism and volcanism, geological evolution.
- Mars: topography, internal structure, tectonism and volcanism, water and water
related morphologies, surface evolution.
- Comets and asteroids: astronomical characters, geology and composition
- Meteorites and their parent bodies
- Geology of the Medicean satellites
- Planetary space mission and related payloads
Planned learning activities and teaching methods: 40 h lectures and 10 h practical exercises. The frontal lectures will be dedicated to the geology of planetary and minor bodies and to the exploration techniques of planetary surface (orbital and in situ). The practical exercises will be devoted to the geological interpretation and mapping of the planetary surfaces (Inner Solar System) and the crater density age determination.