Estimated 42 volcanic eruptions a year on Venus, with 20 lasting over 1,000 Earth days
Italian researchers found evidence of new lava flows related to volcanic activities
Maximum flow rates for Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia are estimated at 25 km3/Earth-year and 38 km3/Earth-year respectively
NASA's Magellan mission data reveals signs of ongoing volcanic activity in Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia
Venus may be more volcanically active than previously believed
Venus, the planet often referred to as Earth's twin sister, has long been a subject of interest for scientists due to its similar size and composition. Recent discoveries suggest that Venus may be more volcanically active than previously believed. In the early 1990s, NASA's Magellan mission orbited Venus with an array of scientific instruments, collecting data that would later reveal signs of ongoing volcanic activity.
Italian researchers led by Davide Sulcanese from Università d'Annunzio in Pescara analyzed the data collected during this mission and found evidence of two distinct areas on Venus where significant changes in radar backscatter occurred: Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia. These changes indicate new lava flows related to volcanic activities.
The findings support previous indirect evidence that there is ongoing volcanic activity on Venus, such as variations in sulfuric acid levels and changes in a region's thermal emissivity data. The researchers estimate that Venus may undergo up to 42 volcanic eruptions a year, with an estimated 20 eruptions lasting more than 1,000 Earth days.
The maximum flow rates for Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia are estimated at 25 km3/Earth-year and 38 km3/Earth-year respectively. These discoveries suggest that volcanic activity on Venus may be more widespread than previously thought, shedding new light on the geological processes shaping this enigmatic planet.
The data used in this study is available from various sources, including the PDS geosciences node and NASA's Magellan mission. For more information, please refer to the references provided.
Data from Venus Magellan SAR F-BIDRs, altimetry data, and stereo-derived topography are available at the PDS geosciences node.
Esposito’s 1984 Science article provides evidence for active Venus volcanism through sulfur dioxide episodic injection.
Smrekar et al.’s 2010 Science article identifies recent hotspot volcanism on Venus from VIRTIS emissivity data.
Bondarenko, Head, and Ivanov’s 2010 Geophys. Res. Lett. article presents evidence for present-day volcanism on Venus using microwave radiometry.
Gulcher, Gerya, Montesi, and Munch’s 2020 Nat. Geosci. article discusses corona structures driven by plume-lithosphere interactions and evidence for ongoing plume activity on Venus.
A new analysis of data collected on Venus more than 30 years ago suggests the planet may currently be volcanically active.
Italian researchers detected evidence of an eruption while the spacecraft orbited the planet in the early 1990s using data from NASA's Magellan mission.
The discovery suggests that volcanic activity may be currently active and more widespread than was previously thought.
Venus is sometimes called 'Earth's twin sister.'
Between 1990 and 1992, the Magellan spacecraft orbited Venus with an array of scientific instruments, dropping as low as 295 km above the planet's surface.
The researchers found signs of volcanic lava flow in two regions: Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia.
The findings support previous indirect evidence that there is volcanic activity on Venus, such as variations in sulfuric acid levels and changes in a region's thermal emissivity data.
Venus may undergo up to 42 volcanic eruptions a year, with an estimated 20 eruptions lasting more than 1,000 Earth days.
The maximum flow rates for Sif Mons and Niobe Planitia are estimated at 25 km3/Earth-year and 38 km3/Earth-year respectively.
Venus has thousands of volcanoes, some of which may still be active.
New lava flows were discovered on Venus using 30-year-old radar images from Magellan spacecraft.
A group of scientists found a volcanic vent on Venus changing shape and increasing significantly in size in less than a year, which was the first indication of recent volcanic activity.
Venus is much more active than expected with present-day volcanism being widespread.
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No ad hominem fallacies, but there are a few instances of false dichotomy and appeal to authority. The author presents two options for the origin of the lava flows (natural vs. artificial) without acknowledging other possibilities.
. . . suggesting that the planet was volcanically active between 1990 to 1992.
The new findings not only support an earlier study on Venus's volcanic activity, but also suggest that present-day volcanism on Venus is rather widespread.
By studying Venus, we can better understand Earth.
Venus has volcanic activity that is ongoing and widespread, as evidenced by changes in radar backscatter detected by Magellan orbiter from 1990 to 1994.
Sif Mons region and Niobe Planitia are two distinct areas on Venus where significant changes in radar backscatter occurred, indicating new lava flows related to volcanic activities.
Venus has a similar volcanic output to Earth over the past 180 million years, with an estimated flow rate of 25.2 for Sif Mons and 37.8 cubic kilometers per year for Niobe Planitia.
