Terrestrial Planets

1. What is meant by primary atmosphere? By secondary atmosphere?
2. What are the possible sources for the atmospheres of the Terrestrial planets? Which is the most likely for the Earth?
3. Describe the Faint Young Sun Paradox. What is the resolution of the Faint Young Sun Paradox? What is meant by equilibrium temperature? What is meant by albedo? What is the rough albedo for the Terrestrial planets?
4. Describe the Greenhouse Effect. What are the most important Greenhouse gases on the Earth?
5. What are the layers of the Earth's atmosphere? Where is the ozone layer and roles does it play for us? What is the water trap? Why is the water trap important?
6. Venus, Earth, and Mars likely started out under similar conditions. Describe the current thinking as to why each planet wound up so radically different from each other (in terms of the atmospheres).
7. If all of the water on the Earth were in liquid form and spread over the Earth, to what depth would the Earth be covered? If the same was done on Venus, to what depth would Venus be covered? What happened to Venus's water?
8. Are there liquid oceans on Mars today? If not, is there water on Mars? If there is water on Mars, where is the water?
9. The largest volcano in the Solar System is Olympus Mons on Mars. Suggest reasons why the largest volcanoes are found on Mars and not on the Earth or Venus.
10. Briefly, contrast the surface features on Venus and Mars. Do either Venus or Mars show plate tectonic activity? If not, does this mean Venus and Mars do not show signs of geology? Contrast the properites and appearances of the Northern and Southern hemispheres of Mars. What is the Thraris Bulge? How was it formed?
11. Carefully describe why Mars is considered the best site for searches for extra-Terrestrial life in our Solar System. Cite the reaonse with the observations of mars that support your answer. In particular, what is the evidence that Mars has water and that it had quiescent pools of water and flowing water in the past. How long ago did mars have an atmosphere that supported quiescent pools and flows of water? Why did the Martian climate change?
12. the primary experiments (Viking and ALH8401) that address the question of life on Mars? Carefully describe the VIking mission and the life search experiments performed by Viking, the general results of the experiments, whether the experiments showed or did not show life on Mars. Currently where do we stand on the question of life on Mars based on Viking? What are the properties of ALH 84001? Why is ALH 84001 considered a Martian meteorite? What features of ALH 84001 suggested that life existed on Mars? Describe the evidence that life exited on Mars based on ALH 84001. Which pieces of evidence remain strong to this day? Which pieces of evidence are not considered to be strong today? What the reaseons? What is the final take on the ALH 84001 (today)?
13. What is LAWKI and is it a reasonable guideline for seaches for extra-Terrestrial life? Support your with a cogent arugement supported by more than supposition and feelings, that is give as factually based argument as possible.

Jupiter and Saturn

1. Describe the interiors of Jupiter and Saturn. What is meant by liquid, metallic hydrogen? (That is, what is a liquid? what does metallic mean?)
2. Jupiter and Saturn radiate more energy than they receive from the Sun. What is the explanation for this? What is the siginificance of helium rain o Saturn? Is helium rain on Saturn consistent with the chemical composition of Saturn's atmosphere?

Ocean Worlds

1. What is the Habitable Zone? What determines the size of the Habitable Zone? How many planets in our Solar System are in the Habitable Zone? Which planets or moons are in the Habitable Zone?
2. Strictly speaking, is the habitable zone a rigidly defined zone or is it a guideline?
3. What are Ocean Worlds? What are the Ocean Worlds?
4. What are Enceladus and Europa? What are the properites of Enceladus and Europa?
Describe the surface features of Europa. What is the Europa Clipper? 5. Describe the differences between Venus, Earth, and Mars in the context of Habitable Zone? What caused Venus, Earth, and Mars to evolve so differently?
6. Describe the Viking biology experiments. Describe the outcome of the Viking biology experiments. What is the current take on the results of the Viking life experiments (how have more recent missions altered our thinking on the results of the Viking experiments?)?
7. What is LAWKI? How did the idea of LAWKI influence the design of the Viking experiments (and, in fact, all searches for life)?
8. Describe ALH84001 and the results based on the study of ALH84001. Describe the outcome of the study of ALH84001. What is the current take on the results of the study of ALH84001?
9. Discuss the cases of Europa and Enceladus. First off, why is it somewhat surprsing we even consder Europa and Enceladus as objects that might support life?