Scientists have discovered that Venus’s vast plateaus, known as tesserae, may have formed through processes similar to those that created the Earth’s oldest continents billions of years ago.
The international study was led by Associate Professor Fabio Capitanio from the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at Monash University in collaboration with NASA. Results published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
«This study challenges our understanding of planetary evolution,» said Associate Professor Capitanio. «We didn’t expect Venus, with its scorching surface temperature of 460°C and lack of plate tectonics, to have such complex geological features».
Using high-performance computer simulations and data from the «Magellan» spacecraft, the researchers modeled the formation of Ishtar Terra, the largest plateau on Venus. The results indicate that Ishtar Terra and other tesserae may have risen from the planet’s hot interior through a process similar to the formation of Earth’s cratons — the ancient cores of our continents.
«This finding provides an exciting new perspective on Venus and its potential connections to early Earth,» Capitanio added. «The features we found on Venus are strikingly similar to Earth’s early continents, suggesting that the dynamics of Venus’ past are more similar to those of Earth than previously thought».
Understanding how these «continents» on Venus formed could shed light on the evolution of rocky planets, including our own. Earth’s cratons hold key clues to the emergence of topography, atmosphere, and even life.
«By studying similar features on Venus, we hope to unlock the secrets of Earth’s early history,» Capitanio emphasized. «Our study has paved the way for future missions to Venus, such as DAVINCI, VERITAS and EnVision. These missions will provide further insights into the geologic history of Venus and its relationship to Earth».
Source: Phys
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: