14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists operating the European Space Agency's (ESA) Venus Express orbiter announce the discovery of what may very well be the first signs of active volcanoes on our neighboring world. Geologists have long suspected that volcanism played a significant role in the development of Venus but until now had no direct evidence to support these claims.
Previous studies of the planet suggest that Venus is long since dead, its iron core frozen over and inactive. A new study conducted with Venus Express was recently able to identify four transient bright spots on the surface of the planet, which may be indicative of recently-active or ongoing eruptions. All spots were discovered in Ganiki Chasma, a very young rift zone on the Venusian surface.
The orbiter used its Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) instrument to image this area around 36 times, and the spots were discovered during 4 separate passes. If additional studies confirm the discovery, then this research could mark a shift in the way experts understand geological activity on other worlds.
The new study was presented on Monday, March 17, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas. The work was conducted by German investigators with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPI-SSR), who were led by planetary scientist Eugene Shalygin. “Venus might have ongoing volcanism,” the team leader said at the meeting.
Their conclusions are based on analyses of a series of mosaic images, which were collected during Venus Express passes over Ganiki Chasa. The pictures the probe collected were used to calculate the relative surface brightness of the area. This research effort revealed the presence of four transient flashes at this location.
Average temperatures over the areas that displayed the flashes reached 527 to 827 degrees Celsius (980 to 1,520ºF), values significantly higher than the average Venusian surface temperature at those locations, which is just 427ºC (800ºF), Space reports. All four bright spots were identified near and around a giant shield volcano called Maat Mons.
Shalygin said that his team was aware of the fact that chances of seeing something in Ganiki Chasma were remote, of just 8 percent. After several years of investigations, the group had almost lost hope in ever discovering active volcanism on Venus. “Then we found something,” he added at the meeting.
The team argues that Maat Mons most likely erupted just 10 to 20 million years ago. “Geologically, it’s like yesterday,” the expert said. MPI-SST investigators now plan to browse through data collected by the NASA Magellan spacecraft between 1990 and 1994 to see whether or not additional signs of transient bright spots can be discovered.
Studying recent instances of volcanism on Venus could lead to a deeper understanding of a variety of processes going on on our neighboring world and to more data on how its interior, surface, and atmosphere are set up.