Surface Features
Elementary School
Definition
The physical characteristics of the surface of a planet or moon, such as craters, mountains, valleys, and plains. Studying surface features gives clues about a world's history and the processes that shaped it.
Worked examples
The Moon's craters formed from billions of years of meteorite impacts with no atmosphere or erosion to erase them.
Heavily cratered surfaces reveal an ancient, geologically inactive world with no weathering processes.
Olympus Mons on Mars is the solar system's tallest volcano at \(21\) km high, showing past volcanic activity.
Mountains and volcanoes tell us about internal heat and tectonic forces that once shaped the planet.
Venus has smooth plains created by recent lava flows, with fewer craters than expected for its age.
Young-looking surfaces suggest recent geological activity that resurfaced the planet.
Common mistakes
- All planets have the same surface features because they formed together. → Each world's surface features depend on its size, atmosphere, geology, and history. Different processes like volcanism, tectonics, impacts, and erosion create unique surfaces on each body.
- Craters are only caused by volcanoes. → Most craters are impact craters from asteroids and comets; volcanic craters are much rarer. Impact craters are circular bowl-shaped features from collisions, not volcanic calderas.
Where you'll use it next
You'll use surface features when studying planetary geology, comparing terrestrial and gas giant moons, analyzing satellite images in Earth science, and understanding how atmospheres and plate tectonics shape worlds.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026