<p>I would say that your initial observation is flawed, so the question is moot.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2006/01/area_surrounding_the_huygens_landing_site/9704260-4-eng-GB/Area_surrounding_the_Huygens_landing_site_medium.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Huygens landing site, Titan</a>:
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fKRbp.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-04T20:12:44.597Z
2014-07-04T20:12:44.597Z
Jeremy
<p>I don't know what you're talking about. The only one that seems to have mostly flat rocks is Venus. At least based on what little photographs we have from the surface of Venus. </p>

<p>Mars</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/iiY9K.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/iiY9K.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Venus</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dNagM.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dNagM.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-08T06:14:39.943Z
2016-11-08T06:14:39.943Z
Katie Katie
<p>Images taken by landers on Titan and Venus and Mars show landscapes where rocks, to me at least, are surprisingly flat. Being used to walking around in forests with roundish meter sized boulders, I'd be very surprised to find myself in a landscape of flat rocks.</p>

<p>Their atmospheric density range between about 100 times, half and 1/100th of Earth's atmosphere. So that can't be the main explanation. Actually, I think that the landscape of the Moon is more Earth like than that of the atmospheric worlds out there.</p>

<p>Is this my impression of "flatness" a real phenomenon, and if so, why and how?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-04T07:55:24.490Z
Maybe you would like to rephrase 'atmospheric planets' that does not sound right.
harogaston
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-04T08:18:38.890Z
@haragaston, I mean "worlds" with atmosphere which are not gas giants. If they are planets, dwarf planets, moons is irrelevant. Unfortunately there is no good word for that category.
LocalFluff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-04T19:46:27.790Z
Newly cleaved rocks on Earth usually have flat planar surfaces as well. Round rocks are usually shaped that way as a result of erosion, usually by water here on Earth.
Marc
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-05T05:53:07.557Z
Could you clarify and provide examples of what is it exactly that you mean by 'flat rocks'? It is not clear since it is not a very technical term.
harogaston
<planetary-atmosphere><venus><surface><geology><titan>
Why do rocks on other solar system bodies that have an atmosphere seem to be flat?
LocalFluff
# Why do rocks on other solar system bodies that have an atmosphere seem to be flat?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-02)

Images taken by landers on Titan and Venus and Mars show landscapes where rocks, to me at least, are surprisingly flat. Being used to walking around in forests with roundish meter sized boulders, I'd be very surprised to find myself in a landscape of flat rocks.

Their atmospheric density range between about 100 times, half and 1/100th of Earth's atmosphere. So that can't be the main explanation. Actually, I think that the landscape of the Moon is more Earth like than that of the atmospheric worlds out there.

Is this my impression of "flatness" a real phenomenon, and if so, why and how?

**Tags:** planetary-atmosphere, venus, surface, geology, titan

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Maybe you would like to rephrase 'atmospheric planets' that does not sound right.  
> **username_0**: @haragaston, I mean "worlds" with atmosphere which are not gas giants. If they are planets, dwarf planets, moons is irrelevant. Unfortunately there is no good word for that category.  
> **username_2**: Newly cleaved rocks on Earth usually have flat planar surfaces as well. Round rocks are usually shaped that way as a result of erosion, usually by water here on Earth.  
> **username_1**: Could you clarify and provide examples of what is it exactly that you mean by 'flat rocks'? It is not clear since it is not a very technical term.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-07-04. Score: 4

I would say that your initial observation is flawed, so the question is moot.

[Huygens landing site, Titan](http://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2006/01/area_surrounding_the_huygens_landing_site/9704260-4-eng-GB/Area_surrounding_the_Huygens_landing_site_medium.jpg):
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/fKRbp.jpg)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-11-08. Score: 3

I don't know what you're talking about. The only one that seems to have mostly flat rocks is Venus. At least based on what little photographs we have from the surface of Venus.

Mars

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/iiY9K.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/iiY9K.jpg)

Venus

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/dNagM.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/dNagM.jpg)


---

