Mars Mysteries
What is the tallest volcano in the solar system, found on Mars?
Olympus Mons
What is the name of the supercontinent that existed about 250 million years ago?
Pangaea
What are the two types of igneous rocks?
Intrusive and Extrusive
What process breaks down rocks into smaller pieces?
Weathering
What is the force that pulls objects toward the center of Earth?
Gravity
Scientists search for this on Mars to determine if life might exist.
Water or evidence of past water
What are the three main types of plate boundaries?
Convergent, Divergent, Transform
How does sedimentary rock form?
Layers of sediment compact and cement over time
What are the two main types of weathering?
Physical and Chemical Weathering
Name a type of evidence that supports the theory of plate tectonics.
Fossil distribution, matching rock formations, GPS tracking of plate movements.
What is the name of NASA’s rover that landed on Mars in 2021?
Perseverance Rover
What happens at a convergent plate boundary where oceanic and continental plates meet?
Subduction – the oceanic plate sinks under the continental plate, creating volcanoes and trenches.
What is the difference between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks?
Intrusive cools inside the Earth (big crystals), extrusive cools quickly on the surface (small/no crystals)
What is erosion, and how is it different from weathering?
Erosion moves sediment; weathering breaks rocks down
What is the term for large dust storms that sometimes cover the entire surface of Mars?
Global dust storms
What is the primary gas in Mars' atmosphere?
Carbon Dioxide – CO₂
Name one type of landform created by transform boundaries.
Faults – like the San Andreas Fault in California
Why are fossils commonly found in sedimentary rocks but not in igneous rocks?
Sedimentary rocks form in layers, preserving fossils; igneous rocks are formed from lava/magma, which destroys fossils
What is deposition in the rock cycle?
The process where sediment is laid down in a new location
What type of rock forms from magma cooling slowly underground?
Intrusive Igneous Rock
What is the name of the canyon system on Mars that is much larger than the Grand Canyon?
Valles Marineris
What is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges?
Seafloor spreading
Name two examples of sedimentary rocks.
Sandstone, Limestone, Shale, or Conglomerate
How does sediment become sedimentary rock?
Through compaction and cementation
What is the difference between physical and chemical weathering?
Physical breaks rock into pieces without changing composition; chemical changes the rock’s composition.