Clues have been confirmed that active volcanic activity occurs on Venus, which is similar in mass and composition to Earth. As it is known as the ‘twin planet’, active volcanic activity on Venus is expected to help us understand the evolutionary process of the Earth.
A research team led by Professor Robert Herrick from the University of Alaska Institute of Geophysics, Fairbanks, USA, presented evidence of volcanic activity by analyzing Venus radar image data at the 54th lunar and planetary science conference held in Woodland, Texas, USA. on the 15th (local time). The results of the study were also published in the international journal Science.
The research team compared synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images taken in 1991 by NASA’s Venus Magellan probe 32 years ago. These images were spaced 8 months apart, allowing comparative analysis. The radar noticed the process of changing the size and shape of the volcanic eruption (a path through which volcanic eruptions come out) in ‘Maat Mons’, one of the volcanoes in ‘Atla Regio’, a plateau near the equator of Venus.
The Mart Mons island captured by Magellan in February 1991 was about 2.2 square kilometers in size, but grew to 4 square kilometers eight months later. In addition, it was confirmed that lava had filled the edge of the furnace, and it was estimated that a ‘lava lake’ had formed inside the furnace. It is not known if the lava has solidified.
In order to understand the local context, the research team selected the points of coincidence of the two images at a time difference in order to be able to identify the height. However, since the incident angles of the two images are different and the image resolution is low, it was difficult to make an accurate comparison, so a fire simulation model was created and analyzed in detail.
Normally, when lava erupts, the vent at the top of the volcano expands, and the vent at the base of the volcano partially collapses. The research team speculated that the Martmons volcano erupted lava in an area of approximately 69 km2, and explained that it showed a similar pattern to volcanic activity in Hawaii, USA.
Venus is about 0.95 times the diameter of Earth and about 0.85 times the mass, similar in size. They are also called ‘twin planets’ because they have a similar crust and topography. However, it is not easy to observe due to strong air pressure due to the thick atmospheric layer, high temperature of 500 degrees Celsius, and strong winds of 100 m/s.
This research achievement is evaluated as the first result to reveal the volcanic activity of Venus, which is similar to Earth but cannot be observed. There is also an analysis that compares the volcanic activity of Venus and Earth to understand the process of Earth’s evolution.
Research on the volcanoes of Venus is expected to be active with the Venus probe ‘VERITAS’, which will be launched around 2030. Veritas can create 3D maps with state-of-the-art radar equipment and use near-infrared spectroscopy to identify the topography of Venus which hidden by atmospheric layers.
“We have been observing Mars (which is considered similar to Earth) for decades, but we have not been able to confirm volcanic activity,” said Professor Herrick.
reference material
Nature, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00783-x
Science, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abm7735
