PTYS 411/511
Geology and Geophsics of the Solar System


Prof. Shane Byrne — 626-0407 — 524 Kuiper Building

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— Welcome to the course website for PTYS 411/511 —

The goals of this course are to give the student a thorough understanding of geologic processes operating on planetary bodies and how they have shaped the geologic history of solar system bodies. We will explore how a variety of geologic processes, such as impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, fluvial and atmospheric, shape planetary landscapes. Interspaced with these lectures we will review the geologic history of solar system bodies and processes unique to these individual bodies.

General Info

  • Course syllabus and topics covered are discussed here.
  • Lectures for spring 2010 take place in Rm 312 of the Kuiper building, Tuesday and Thursday 11am-12:15pm.
  • Office hours Thursday 1-4pm, room 524.

Recommended General Texts

  • The new solar system 4th edition, edited by Beatty, Peterson and Chailin
  • Planetary Sciences, by de Pater and Lissauer
  • Encyclopedia of the Solar System 2nd edition, edited by McFadden, Weissman and Johnson
  • Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System 2nd edition, by Lewis

Recommended Specialized Texts

  • Impact Cratering: A Geologic Process, by Melosh
  • The Surface of Mars, by Carr



shane@lpl.arizona.edu


The background image is of Phoebe, a moon of Saturn. It was acquired by the Cassini spacecraft in June of 2004. See here for the original image and more info.