Which of the following is NOT considered evidence of cataclysmic impacts in the history of our Solar System?
A) Uranus is "tipped over" so that it rotates on its side.
B) Valles Marineris on Mars is a huge scar, many times deeper than the Grand Canyon, which spans one-fourth the circumference of the planet.
C) Mercury has crust that has buckled on the opposite side of an impact crater.
D) Mimas has a crater whose diameter is roughly one-third of the Moon's size.
E) Mercury, Earth's Moon, and many other small bodies are covered with many impact craters.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Valles Marineris on Mars is not evidence of cataclysmic impacts, but rather thought to be the result of tectonic activity or volcanic activity. The other choices all show evidence of impacts. Uranus's tilted axis is thought to have been caused by a massive impact, Mercury's buckled crust is evidence of a collision, Mimas's large crater is evidence of an impact, and the abundance of impact craters on Mercury, the Moon, and other small bodies is clear evidence of impacts throughout the Solar System.

Which of the Following Is NOT Considered Evidence of Cataclysmic