As climate change on Earth becomes an increasingly pressing issue, we look to our solar system counterparts for omens of our fate. Our sister planet Venus is similar to Earth in many ways and yet has remained a scorching hellscape, inhospitable to life, for much of its history. However, Venus very well may have been habitable long ago, even before Earth. So what happened? Part of the answer lies in understanding Venus’ geological activity, of which volcanism plays a large role.

A team of planetary scientists in Italy recently discovered lava flows from active volcanoes in two locations on Venus. They analyzed radar images collected by the Magellan spacecraft, which orbited Venus from 1990 to 1994, and compared images of the same locations on Venus’ surface taken 1-2 years apart. This method, called “change-detection analysis,” revealed significant changes in surface reflectivity in two regions. The first region flanked a volcano called Sif Mons, and the second region was found in the flatlands known as Niobe Planitia, dotted with numerous shield volcanoes and volcanic matter. The research team considered many plausible explanations for the observed changes in radar reflectivity such as atmospheric effects, image artifacts, geological changes, and of course volcanism. The analysis confidently ruled out alternatives and concluded the observations were due to active volcanic lava flows. The sinuous and fan-shaped lines of the images and their proximity to volcanoes supported this conclusion. Venus’ active volcanoes reveal yet more similarity to Earth, perhaps making it a better proxy for a potential pathway for Earth’s climate than previously thought.

Venus continues to gain favoritism among the planetary science community to look for life and do comparative planetology. The recent discovery of active volcanism supplies more kindling for the fire of exploration, making an even more compelling case for upcoming missions to explore Venus. As our understanding of Venus’ climate deepens, so too will our understanding of our beloved Earth’s.

This study was led by Davide Sulcanese, a PhD student at D’Annunzio University in Italy.

Managing Correspondent: Collin Cherubim

Press Article: Radar detects fresh lava flows on Venus, indicating planet may be “far more volcanically active” than thought (CBS News)

Original Journal Article: Evidence of ongoing volcanic activity on Venus revealed by Magellan radar (Nature Astronomy)

Image Credit: WikiImages/Pixabay