Scientists Discover Volcanoes on Venus Are Still Active
A new study identified 37 recently active volcanic structures on Venus. The study provides some of the best evidence yet that Venus is still a geologically active planet. A research paper on the work, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland and the Institute of Geophysics at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, was published in the journal Nature Geoscience on July 20, 2020.
[...] Scientists have known for some time that Venus has a younger surface than planets like Mars and Mercury, which have cold interiors. Evidence of a warm interior and geologic activity dots the surface of the planet in the form of ring-like structures known as coronae, which form when plumes of hot material deep inside the planet rise through the mantle layer and crust. This is similar to the way mantle plumes formed the volcanic Hawaiian Islands.
But it was thought that the coronae on Venus were probably signs of ancient activity, and that Venus had cooled enough to slow geological activity in the planet's interior and harden the crust so much that any warm material from deep inside would not be able to puncture through. In addition, the exact processes by which mantle plumes formed coronae on Venus and the reasons for variation among coronae have been matters for debate.
Also at EarthSky.
Corona structures driven by plume–lithosphere interactions and evidence for ongoing plume activity on Venus (DOI: 10.1038/s41561-020-0606-1) (DX)
Journal Reference:
Anna J. P. Gülcher, Taras V. Gerya, Laurent G. J. Montési, et al. Corona structures driven by plume–lithosphere interactions and evidence for ongoing plume activity on Venus, Nature Geoscience (DOI: 10.1038/s41561-020-0606-1)
Related Stories
NASA mulls possible mission to Venus after recent discovery of possible life:
NASA is considering approving by next April up to two planetary science missions from four proposals under review, including one to Venus that scientists involved in the project said could help determine whether or not that planet harbors life.
An international research team on Monday described evidence of potential microbes residing in the harshly acidic Venusian clouds: traces of phosphine, a gas that on Earth is produced by bacteria inhabiting oxygen-free environments. It provided strong potential evidence of life beyond Earth.
The U.S. space agency in February shortlisted four proposed missions that are now being reviewed by a NASA panel, two of which would involve robotic probes to Venus. One of those, called DAVINCI+, would send a probe into the Venusian atmosphere.
[...] The search for life elsewhere in the solar system has until now not focused on Venus. In fact, NASA in July launched a next-generation rover to look for traces of potential past life on Mars.
Previously:
Life on Venus? Unexplained Discovery in the Clouds Has Scientists Buzzing
Venus May Have Dozens of Active Volcanoes
NASA Thinks It's Time to Return to Neptune with its Trident Mission
NASA Wants to Send a Probe to Venus That Can Last 60 Days
New Theory Proposes Large Ocean Killed Venus
NASA Concept for a Crewed Airship Mission in Venus's Upper Atmosphere
The Case for Microbial Life in the Atmosphere of Venus
(Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Tuesday July 21 2020, @12:49PM
Don't go there without your mask and your Google tracker.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday July 21 2020, @12:59PM (4 children)
So does anyone know why it would be believed that Venus had cooled enough to stop volcanic activity? I mean, sure, it hasn't had a large moon kneading its interior, but it has had much stronger kneading from the sun. Meanwhile its exterior is bathed in much greater amount of solar radiation, while being heavily insulated by all that CO2, which keeps the surface much hotter and should slow the cooling of the interior.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday July 21 2020, @01:47PM (2 children)
"Has had". It's not tidally locked with the Sun, but it's pretty close. That means tidal forces are no longer providing that level of heating. It's also a bit smaller than Earth meaning both less heating from radioactive material and formation (the collisions that would have formed Venus), and greater radiating of that heat to atmosphere and space.
That is an important factor, but it also means the atmosphere can absorb much more heat from the surface. So some decline in temperature gradient, but a much larger heat capacity. I think it balances out.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday July 21 2020, @10:36PM (1 child)
I'm sure I read somewhere about the water in Earth's lithosphere acting as a lubricant which helps to keep our tectonic plates moving.
Or something like that.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday July 21 2020, @11:06PM
I believe that is correct. Other volatiles like carbon and sulfur dioxide also supposedly work that way. A key part of it is that supposedly these volatiles reduce the melting temperature of the rock, making it less viscous at any temperature near or above the melting point. That less viscous rock in turn provides the lubrication.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Kitsune008 on Tuesday July 21 2020, @02:57PM
A REALLY simplified answer would be: It's complicated.
Okay, first off, I do not doubt your intelligence or ability to reason...your comments have demonstrated you have both.
An adequate answer would involve way more typing than I am willing to do, and you would be scrolling forever to read it.
Wikipedia has a decent version, but you have to follow some of the citations. :-)
So I'm going with a more 'real simple' version.
For a long time there was debate about Venus having a liquid core, if there was a mantle...how thick, thick or thin crust, plate tectonics or not.
All of these were related to the discussion of what happened to Venus' magnetic field, and when.(We knew that Venus used to be Earth-like w/ liquid water, so therefore it must have had a 'dynamo' producing a magnetic shield, right?[newer debate])
Which leads to the different models we developed to explained observations:
Venus has no plate tectonics, at least not for several billion years. Volcanism on Venus will be different than on Earth.
There has been no indication of recent active volcanoes on Venus.
a) Venus rotates to slow to create magnetic shield(recent models/calculations seem to discount this), but still has a solid core and liquid mantle
b) Venus lost it's solid core(it melted), and has a liquid core/mantle with a thick crust
c) various versions in between
The cooling referred to has put more weight on b), due to lack of recent signs of volcanism.
The crust radiates heat quick enough that currents in the liquid keep a solid core from forming, and a thicker crust develops.
With no plate tectonics, and a thicker crust, volcanism doesn't stand a chance.
This changes that discussion. Back to the drawing board. :-)