Chapter 24 - Perspectives on Planetary Tectonics

Abstract

In the previous chapters, the focus has been on the mantle dynamics and tectonics of the Earth. Here, we concentrate on the other terrestrial planets, Mercury, Venus, and Mars—what we know about their internal dynamics and to what extent it affects planetary evolution including magnetic field and atmosphere. Over the past five decades, we have gained significant knowledge about these bodies through space missions, and we have known now that they all have their own characteristics. To understand why this is so, geodynamics plays an important role. But especially in comparative planetology, even more endeavors are being made to study the planetary system, i.e., the coupling between interior, surface, and atmosphere with hitherto simplified models. We present some examples of what we have learned so far and where there are still open questions. Future missions, such as the recently selected Venus missions, will certainly make important contributions to further constrain the models.