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Originally Posted by Vermonter
Incorrect statement on my part about the atmosphere heating up the crust. The radioactive elements heat the insulated crust to the point where it melts, and then the pent-up heat escapes and the process starts again.
Inference on my part that the atmosphere plays a part in it. It's still a pressure cooker, as probes and lander have unfortunately found out.
My bad  ops: |
No problem. The radioactive/internal heat melting the surface was a theory I was familiar with, I thought the involvement of the atmosphere was a new and recent theory that I hadn't heard about. I'll still see if I can find the book but I'm not hopeful - I don't live in a place with very big libraries.