Venus’ ‘continents’ hint at surprising connection to early Earth

Scientists have discovered that Venus’s vast plateaus, known as mosaics, may have been formed by processes similar to those that created Earth’s earliest continents billions of years ago.

The international study, led by Associate Professor Fabio Capitanio from Monash University’s School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, in collaboration with NASA, is published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

“The study challenges our understanding of how planets evolve,” Capitanio said. “We didn’t expect Venus, with its scorching surface temperature of 460 degrees Celsius and lack of plate tectonics, to have such complex geological features.”

Using high-performance computer simulations and data from the Magellan spacecraft, scientists have modeled the formation of Ishtar Terra, the largest plateau on Venus.

The results suggest that Ishtar Terra and other fractured terrains (highly deformed terrain on Venus’s surface that appears as large areas of mosaic patterns) may have arisen from the planet’s hot interior through a process similar to craton formation (or AThe continental crust (the Earth’s crust), which are the ancient cores of our continents.

“This discovery provides a fascinating new perspective on Venus and its possible connections to the early Earth,” Capitanio said. “The features we found on Venus are strikingly similar to early Earth continents, suggesting that Venus’ past dynamics may have been more similar to Earth’s than previously thought.”

Understanding how these “continents” formed on Venus could shed light on the evolution of rocky planets, including our own.

Earth’s cratons hold crucial clues about the origins of landforms, atmosphere, and even life.

“By studying similar features on Venus, we hope to unlock secrets of Earth’s early history,” Capitanio added. “Our research has paved the way for future missions to Venus, such as DAVINCI, VERITAS and EnVision. These missions will provide further insights into the geological history of Venus and its connection to Earth.”

Source: phys.org