Surfaces main content.

Surfaces

Part of Hall of the Universe.

Surfaces_HERO AMNH/D. Finnin

Exhibition Text

Many forces shape the solid surfaces of planets and moons. Initially hot, some of these surfaces fractured as they cooled, creating great chasms. Impacts produce craters and can release molten flows beneath the surface. On Earth, continental plates move continuously, forming ocean basins and mountains. Water, ice, wind, and volcanoes both erode and create surface features.

Universality
planets