New 3D model reveals Venus’ volcanoes are actually still active
It has lovely plumage
Venus is eternally-shrouded from view in visible light by clouds that continually cover all parts of the planet. However, using other wavelengths of electromagnetic spectrum, astronomers are able to piece together maps of the surface of this torrid world.
[Read:Newly discovered Moon metals make scientists rethink its origin story]
Astronomers have long known that the surface of Venus is younger than that seen on Mercury andMars, which have dead cores.
This new study found coronae — ring-like structures — dot the surface of the hellish planet. The model shows these features form as hot material rises through the mantle layer and crust, similar to the mantle plumes that formed the volcanic Hawaiian Islands.
These features were thought to be ancient features, and most researchers believed Venus had cooled to the point where any hot material near the core would not be able to reach the surface. Differing formations of these structures led to questions about how these various shapes formed.
“Different corona structures may represent not only different styles of plume–lithosphere interactions but also different stages in evolution. A morphological analysis of large existing coronae leads to the conclusion that at least 37 large coronae (including the largest Artemis corona) are active, providing evidence for widespread ongoing plume activity on Venus,” researchers write in the journalNature Geoscience.
There is something shifty about plate tectonics
The team designed models of geological activity beneath the surface of Venus. These 3D models of showed the formation of coronae formation identified features that could only be produced by recent volcanic activity on the surface of Venus. This finding provides the first evidence that the surface of Venus is still active, betraying activegeologybeneath the crust.
“I focus on the lithosphere and surface geology, which is relatively accessible to planetary missions data. I like to call this kind of work comparative planetology. Venus is of special interest because of its gross similarity to the Earth. Yet the geology we observe is very different from that of the Earth. It has volcanoes and faults, yes, but they are organized very differently from the Earth. It does not have global tectonics like we do (at least at present day),” Montési tells The Cosmic Companion.
Without plate tectonics, movement of hot material through the planetary surface is the dominant force driving geological change on Venus today.
The surface of Venus was likely reworked on a large scale byvolcanoesbetween 500 and 300 million years ago. Eruptions there have some similarities, as well as some differences to geological activity here on Earth.
“Volcanoes on Venus actually look a lot like those on Earth: they have similar slope, activity on the summit etc. However, there are many regions of Venus that are covered with lava flows without necessarily a clear source. We see that in a few places on Earth, in regions called flood basalt provinces or traps. In our study we focused on very unusual structures called coronae, which do not have a good equivalent in terrestrial geology. They have a ring of faults and lava flow, and their interior can be quite complex, maybe have volcanic edifices, but these are not very well documented yet,” Montési describes.
This finding could assist teams heading future missions toVenus, including Europe’s EnVision mission, scheduled for launch in 2032.
This article was originally published onThe Cosmic CompanionbyJames Maynard, founder and publisher of The Cosmic Companion. He is a New England native turned desert rat in Tucson, where he lives with his lovely wife, Nicole, and Max the Cat. You can read this original piecehere.
Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companionis also available as a weekly podcast, carried on all major podcast providers. Tune in every Tuesday for updates on the latest astronomy news, and interviews with astronomers and other researchers working to uncover the nature of the Universe.
Story byThe Cosmic Companion
Exploring the wonders of the Cosmos, one mystery at a time.Exploring the wonders of the Cosmos, one mystery at a time.
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