Planetary Interiors: General Principles

Surface Heat Flow

  • Surface heat flow (measurable by infrared techniques) reveals information on internal heat sources (e.g., molten interiors, radioactive material)

Composition of Neighboring Planets and Meteorites

  • Condensation sequence of minerals can suggest the likely internal composition of an object

Drilling and Direct Sampling

  • Drilling (on the Earth!) reveals the structure/composition down to several kilometers.

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