What is the term for the process that sculpts planets into distinct, concentric layers?
Answer
Planetary differentiation
Planetary differentiation is the fundamental process where a planet's material sorts itself based on composition and density, resulting in distinct, concentric layers.
Related Questions
What is the term for the process that sculpts planets into distinct, concentric layers?What physical property is the primary driver behind the gravitational sorting of materials during differentiation?What condition must a planet's interior meet to allow for effective density sorting?Which initial heat source for differentiation comes from the kinetic energy of impacts during planetary assembly?What were the three main initial sources of heat that kickstarted planetary differentiation?Why is the Earth's inner core solid, despite being hotter than the outer core?What critical feature of Earth is generated by convection currents occurring in the liquid outer core?Which layer of a terrestrial planet is formed from the lightest silicate materials that rise to the surface?Compared to Earth, why does Mars have a proportionally smaller core?What is a key example of secondary differentiation happening within the core over billions of years?