Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → Geology

Venus may still be volcanically active

"If Venus is indeed active today, it would make a great place to visit," said researchers,

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
December 24, 2020
in Astronomy, Geology, News, Space

Scientists have known for some time that the surface of Venus is dotted with volcanic features. However, due to the planet’s hazy atmosphere, it has always been uncertain whether Venus is still volcanically active — until now.

New compelling evidence suggests that Venus is volcanically active. This would make it only the second such planet that we know of, besides Earth.

Idunn Mons, a volcanic peak in the Imdr Regio area of Venus. The colored overlay shows heat patterns derived from data recorded by the European Space Agency’s Venus Express spacecraft. Credit: NASA.

In the early 1990s, NASA’s Magellan spacecraft beamed back radar images showing extensive lave flows. Subsequent studies and missions, such as ESA’s Venus Express orbiter, measured infrared light released by the planet’s surface at night to determine the age of the lava flows. Although the data was good enough for scientists to carry relative measurements between older and newer lava flows, their age couldn’t be accurately assessed.

Some have speculated from the data that Venus may have been volcanically active as recent as 2.5 million years ago — which is the blink of an eye in geologic time. But new evidence presented in a study led by Dr. Justin Filiberto, a researcher at the Lunar Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, may mean that Venus may be volcanically active even now.

Researchers simulated Venus’ very dense atmosphere in the lab to assess its influence on lava flows over time. To their surprise, they found that olivine, a mineral that is abundant in some basaltic rocks (covering 90% of Venus), reacts rapidly with chemicals in Venus’ atmosphere, becoming coated with magnetite and hematite, both iron oxide minerals, within days.

The researchers also found that near-infrared light emitted by these minerals would disappear within days, something consistent with data recorded by the Venus Express mission.

“Our results indicate that lava flows lacking VNIR features due to hematite are no more than several years old. Therefore, Venus is volcanically active now,” the authors of the new study wrote in the journal Science Advances.

Maat Mons, a 5-mile-high volcano on Venus with lava flows. Credit: NASA/JPL.

Now, all that remains is for a new mission to confirm this hypothesis. Besides Earth, the only other confirmed volcanically active worlds that we know of are Io, a moon of Jupiter; Triton, a moon of Neptune; and Enceladus, a moon of Saturn.

However, Mars, Pluto, Jupiter’s moon Europa could also be volcanically active.

“If Venus is indeed active today, it would make a great place to visit to better understand the interiors of planets. For example, we could study how planets cool and why the Earth and Venus have active volcanism, but Mars does not,” Filiberto said.

The next missions bound for Venus are India’s Shukrayaan-1 orbiter and Russia’s Venera-D spacecraft, scheduled to launch by 2023 and 2026, respectively.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. Venus might still be volcanically active, according to its infrared emissions
  2. Scientists confirm Venus is still volcanically active
  3. Astronomers find clues of a volcanically active exomoon
  4. What is the Ring of Fire? Earth’s most volcanically active region
  5. Are there active volcanoes on Venus?
Tags: venusvolcano

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW