The evolutionary divergence of Mars, Venus, and Earth

Titelangaben

Hamano, Keiko ; Gillmann, Cedric ; Golabek, Gregor J. ; Lourenço, Diogo ; Westall, Frances:
The evolutionary divergence of Mars, Venus, and Earth.
In: Anbar, Ariel ; Weis, Dominique (Hrsg.): Treatise on Geochemistry. 3 Edition. Volume 7. Worlds Beyond. - Oxford : Elsevier , 2025 . - S. 541-574
ISBN 978-0-323-99763-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-99762-1.00104-2

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Abstract

Mars, Venus, and Earth are expected to have started in a hot molten state. Here, we discuss how these three terrestrial planets diverged in their evolution and what mechanisms could be the cause. We discuss that early on after magma ocean crystallization the mantle/surface redox state and water inventory may already differ considerably, depending on planetary mass and orbital distance from the Sun. During the subsequent internal evolution, the three planets also diverged in terms of their tectonic regime, affecting the long-term planetary evolution via heat flux and outgassing rate, and possibly the physical state of their respective core and the onset and end of a planetary dynamo. We discuss how, throughout the evolution of these rocky planets, the dominant process for atmospheric loss would shift from hydrodynamic escape and impact erosion to nonthermal escape, where small terrestrial planets like Mars are here more vulnerable to volatile loss.