Question
ural Processes on Earth and Mars
Mars and Earth are very different in size, temperature, and atmospheric conditions. Despite these differences, these two rocky planets have similar geoscience processes. Some scientists want to better understand the geoscience processes on Mars by using their knowledge of these processes on Earth. The table describes some of the different geoscience processes that affect Earth's surface and how long each process takes to occur.
Geological Processes Description Timeline for Process
Landslide the flow of rock or soil down a slope seconds
Earthquake a sudden shaking of the ground seconds
Formation of a Mountain Range an uplifting of the Earth's crust thousands to millions of years
Formation of a Canyon usually occurs when a river creates a deep valley between two steep sides of land thousands to millions of years
Volcanic Eruption the release of underground molten rock onto Earth's surface days to weeks
Formation of an Impact Crater forms when an object strikes the Earth, leaving a depression in the surface seconds
Formation of a Rock Pedestal forms when wind cuts away at the bottom of a rock, causing the top of the rock to be wider than the base thousands of years
Many of the landforms created by these processes are also found on Mars. Mars has volcanoes, mountains, canyons, and impact craters, but these landforms are often much larger than the landforms on Earth. The most common type of rock on both planets is igneous rock, which forms from volcanic activity. Both planets experience winds.
There are also differences in the processes. Earth's surface is divided into tectonic plates that move due to the movement of matter in Earth's mantle. Mars has a static, unmoving crust. Earth has large amounts of surface water. Mars currently does not have liquid water on its surface, but there is evidence that there was water on its surface in the past.
Constructed Response Question
Identify one geoscience process that is similar between Earth and Mars and provide an explanation. Identify one geoscience process that is different between Earth and Mars and provide an explanation.
Mars and Earth are very different in size, temperature, and atmospheric conditions. Despite these differences, these two rocky planets have similar geoscience processes. Some scientists want to better understand the geoscience processes on Mars by using their knowledge of these processes on Earth. The table describes some of the different geoscience processes that affect Earth's surface and how long each process takes to occur.
Geological Processes Description Timeline for Process
Landslide the flow of rock or soil down a slope seconds
Earthquake a sudden shaking of the ground seconds
Formation of a Mountain Range an uplifting of the Earth's crust thousands to millions of years
Formation of a Canyon usually occurs when a river creates a deep valley between two steep sides of land thousands to millions of years
Volcanic Eruption the release of underground molten rock onto Earth's surface days to weeks
Formation of an Impact Crater forms when an object strikes the Earth, leaving a depression in the surface seconds
Formation of a Rock Pedestal forms when wind cuts away at the bottom of a rock, causing the top of the rock to be wider than the base thousands of years
Many of the landforms created by these processes are also found on Mars. Mars has volcanoes, mountains, canyons, and impact craters, but these landforms are often much larger than the landforms on Earth. The most common type of rock on both planets is igneous rock, which forms from volcanic activity. Both planets experience winds.
There are also differences in the processes. Earth's surface is divided into tectonic plates that move due to the movement of matter in Earth's mantle. Mars has a static, unmoving crust. Earth has large amounts of surface water. Mars currently does not have liquid water on its surface, but there is evidence that there was water on its surface in the past.
Constructed Response Question
Identify one geoscience process that is similar between Earth and Mars and provide an explanation. Identify one geoscience process that is different between Earth and Mars and provide an explanation.
Answers
GPT-5 mini
Similar process — Volcanism / igneous rock formation:
Both Earth and Mars have volcanic activity that melts rock and produces igneous rock and volcanic landforms. For example, lava flows and large volcanoes are found on both planets (Earth: Hawaiian shield volcanoes; Mars: Olympus Mons and the Tharsis volcanoes). The basic process — molten rock rising from the interior and erupting at the surface to form igneous rocks — is the same on both worlds.
Different process — Plate tectonics (mountain building and many earthquakes):
Earth’s surface is broken into moving tectonic plates; their collisions, subduction, and sliding produce many earthquakes and build mountain ranges over thousands to millions of years (e.g., the Himalaya). Mars, by contrast, has a mostly static, unmoving crust with no global plate tectonics. Because Mars lacks plate motion, it does not form plate-boundary mountain chains or the same style and frequency of plate-driven earthquakes; its large volcanoes grew in place and many surface features have been preserved for much longer.
Both Earth and Mars have volcanic activity that melts rock and produces igneous rock and volcanic landforms. For example, lava flows and large volcanoes are found on both planets (Earth: Hawaiian shield volcanoes; Mars: Olympus Mons and the Tharsis volcanoes). The basic process — molten rock rising from the interior and erupting at the surface to form igneous rocks — is the same on both worlds.
Different process — Plate tectonics (mountain building and many earthquakes):
Earth’s surface is broken into moving tectonic plates; their collisions, subduction, and sliding produce many earthquakes and build mountain ranges over thousands to millions of years (e.g., the Himalaya). Mars, by contrast, has a mostly static, unmoving crust with no global plate tectonics. Because Mars lacks plate motion, it does not form plate-boundary mountain chains or the same style and frequency of plate-driven earthquakes; its large volcanoes grew in place and many surface features have been preserved for much longer.