Venus may have far more volcanic activity than we thought

Recent analyses have revealed surprising volcanic activity on Venus, challenging prior assumptions about its geological state.

The discovery was made possible using data from NASA’s Magellan mission, which provided comprehensive radar mapping of nearly the entire surface of Venus from 1990 to 1992. These detailed images have shown new rock formations likely caused by lava flows.

Breakthrough findings from Magellan’s radar

The Magellan spacecraft, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, mapped 98% of Venus’s surface, producing the most detailed images available.

Recent studies of these images have identified changes on the surface that suggest active lava flows at two significant locations.

This builds on the groundbreaking 2023 discovery of changes at the Maat Mons volcano, providing the first direct evidence of recent volcanic activity on Venus.

New evidence of active volcanoes on Venus

By comparing radar images taken at different times, scientists have observed increases in radar signal strength that point to the creation of new rock.

Davide Sulcanese, lead researcher from d’Annunzio University in Pescara, Italy, noted that Venus “may be far more volcanically active than previously thought.”

His team used comparisons with Earth’s lava flows to estimate the new rock depth, discovering substantial volumes of new material.

Confirming volcanic activity on Venus

The researchers analyzed additional data, including surface height measurements, to confirm that these changes were indeed due to volcanic activity.

Marco Mastrogiuseppe from Sapienza University of Rome explained: “We interpret these signals as flows along slopes or volcanic plains that can deviate around obstacles like fluid.”

The detailed analysis ruled out alternative explanations such as micro-dunes or atmospheric effects.

Implications for future Venus exploration

Scott Hensley, senior research scientist at JPL and co-author of the 2023 study, emphasized the significance of these findings.

“This exciting work augments the vent change we reported last year and increases the excitement in the planetary science community for future missions to Venus,” said Hensley.

These discoveries underscore the dynamic nature of Venus’s geology and provide crucial data for upcoming missions like NASA’s VERITAS.

The VERITAS mission

Scheduled for launch in the early 2030s, the VERITAS mission will employ advanced technologies to create 3D global maps and analyze the surface composition of Venus.

“These new discoveries of recent volcanic activity on Venus by our international colleagues provide compelling evidence of the kinds of regions we should target with VERITAS when it arrives at Venus,” said Suzanne Smrekar, a senior scientist at JPL and principal investigator for VERITAS.

“Our spacecraft will have a suite of approaches for identifying surface changes that are far more comprehensive and higher resolution than Magellan images. Evidence for activity, even in the lower-resolution Magellan data, supercharges the potential to revolutionize our understanding of this enigmatic world.”

The mission aims to enhance our understanding of Venus’s geological processes and its distinct evolutionary path compared to Earth.

A dynamic world of fire and mystery

These recent findings highlight the unexpected and ongoing volcanic activity on Venus, providing a glimpse into the planet’s dynamic interior.

As scientists continue to decipher these phenomena, the mysteries of Venus are slowly being unraveled, paving the way for future explorations that could reshape our understanding of planetary science.

Maat Mons

Maat Mons is a large shield volcano on Venus. It is one of the highest mountains on the planet, with an elevation of about eight kilometers above the mean surface level. 

The volcano is situated in the northern hemisphere of Venus, within a region known as Aphrodite Terra. The volcano is characterized by its large, irregular summit caldera, which measures about 28 kilometers in diameter and three kilometers deep. 

Maat Mons is particularly interesting because of the evidence suggesting recent volcanic activity. Radar imaging from spacecraft such as Magellan has revealed lava flows on the surface that may be only a few million years old, indicating that Maat Mons could still be an active volcano. 

This ongoing activity may be due to the relatively young and thin crust in the region, allowing for easier magma ascent. Maat Mons has become a focal point for studies on planetary volcanism.

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