Volcanic activity is a crucial process in shaping the surfaces and atmospheres of planets. This activity is driven by the movement of molten rock, or magma, beneath a planet's crust. When magma erupts onto the surface, it forms volcanoes.
Each terrestrial planet exhibits different types of volcanic activity:
- Mercury has evidence of ancient volcanic plains, suggesting a volcanic past.
- Venus has numerous volcanoes and extensive lava plains, indicating significant volcanic activity in its history.
- Earth has a variety of volcanism, from explosive eruptions to gentle lava flows, and remains volcanically active today.
- Mars has some of the largest volcanoes in the solar system, though it is now mostly geologically inactive.
Volcanic activity plays a role in resurfacing planets, releasing gases into the atmosphere, and providing heat signatures that can be detected by spacecraft.