The presence of a Mercurian magnetic field surprised the planetary scientists on the Mariner10 team because:
A)Mercury is low in iron.
B)Mercury spins too rapidly to produce a stable dynamo.
C)It's still too hot for its core to have differentiated.
D)The dynamo theory predicted that Mercury was spinning too slowly for one.
E)Mercury lacks an iron core.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dynamo theory, which explains the generation of a planet's magnetic field, predicted that Mercury was spinning too slowly to sustain such a field. This was why the discovery of a magnetic field around Mercury by the Mariner 10 team was surprising.

The Presence of a Mercurian Magnetic Field Surprised the Planetary