Question

Planets like Mercury show evidence of heavy bombardment by meteors while planets like Earth and Venus do not. Why not?

(a) Mercury orbits in a part of the solar system rich with asteroids; Earth and Venus do not.
(b) Mercury has neither plate tectonics nor volcanoes to erase its craters; Earth and Venus do.
(c) Mercury has no atmosphere to shield it from meteors; Earth and Venus do.
(d) Mercury has no magnetic field to deflect small meteors; Earth and Venus do.
(e) Mercury has a powdery surface which craters easily; Earth and Venus are made of sturdier rock.

Answer 1

Mercury shows heavy cratering primarily because, unlike Earth and Venus, it lacks geological activities like plate tectonics and an atmosphere to protect its surface and erase signs of meteor impacts.

Step-by-step explanation:

Planets like Mercury experience a high degree of cratering compared to Earth and Venus. The primary reason is that unlike Earth and Venus, which are geologically active and have atmospheres, Mercury lacks both a significant atmosphere and geological processes such as plate tectonics or volcanism to erase the evidence of such impacts. Earth's and Venus's geologic activity includes erosion and volcanic resurfacing that continually renew their surfaces, obscuring old craters.

Additionally, their atmospheres provide protection by burning up many smaller meteors before they can strike the surface. Despite Mercury's position closer to the asteroid belt, which could result in a higher number of impacts, the most important factors in preserving its cratered appearance are its lack of an atmosphere and geological resurfacing processes.