The mantle is a viscous layer within a planetary surface bounded by a shell and usually over by a solid crust. Although the mantle may be nothing more than an ocean of water, it is important to understand its composition and structure. Many planetary scientists believe that our solar system’s structure, including Earth, is shaped mostly by the distribution and concentration of matter in the “neast” zone, surrounded by rocky debris. This model suggests that many volcanoes are located in the inner Oasis, whereas comets are found further out. Other theories suggest that Ovirades, the name for comets, are compact rocky layers within the Hohomer and habitable zone surrounding the Earth.
One favored model for how the composition of our solar system is formed by the interplay between accretion and gravitational forces is the “gas-and-solid-gas” model. In this scenario, solid matter initially surrounds a gaseous vapor, which becomes less dense as it rises. This chain reaction eventually produces a volcano. This model, although not entirely accurate, has provided the most planetary scientists with valuable data concerning the composition of our solar system. The Hoothar model, which posits the existence of comets and a halo of icy gases surrounding Earth, is also influenced by this theory.
Although most models of the solar system have attributes of both comets and volcanoes, only few directly show mantle convection. One way to determine the presence of convection is to track the motion of mantle convection in very cold and very heated rocks. If the solid rises from a colder bottom and spreads into a warmer top, it is exhibiting the signs of mantle convection. If it moves from a hotter base and spreads out into cooler surroundings, it is exhibiting the signs of gravitational flow. Very few rocks exhibit both of these behaviors.
Although several models have been built to explore the relationship between comets and the outer solar system, most simply reproduce the inner solar system. Only a few have been constructed to explore the relationship between various exotic objects like comets or kites and the major planets. These models are based on the assumption that each of these perturbations is fixed, and that the perturbations do not influence the orbit of any of the inner planets. It is unlikely that astronomers will find any perturbations in all the outer planet systems anytime in the near future.
One model that is being constructed to study the relationship between comets and the inner solar system is the “Kuiper Box Model.” This model consists of an interior chamber where a comet is discovered, its orbit determined, and its makeup analyzed. Once the model comet is compared with orbital data obtained through other methods, the cause of its perturbations can then be determined. Some scientists are even hoping to construct a model that will give clues as to what caused Halley’s comet, the first significant comet discovered by satellites in the 1970s. By tracking the movement of ice on and off the icy grains of this icy ball, scientists are hoping to discover the real cause of such movements.
While several models have been built to study the relationship between comets and the outer solar system, very few models have been constructed to study the relationship between the inner solar system and the mantle. If you are interested in building such a model yourself, there are a number of software programs that are available that allow you to simulate the inner solar system using only the mantle convection. The next time you go looking for models to study the relationship between the inner and outer solar system and the greenhouse gas concentration, you might consider constructing a suitable model yourself.
