The mystical circle of Venus hints at lost chapters in the history of Earth

New research shows that the mystical circular feature of Venus could be a location for ongoing geological activity similar to that of the early Earth Published on Science Advances. By analyzing decades-old data from NASA’s Magellan mission with fresh computational techniques, scientists have discovered evidence that a large ring-shaped structure surrounded by fractures – is actively formed by hot mantle material pushing up from under the planet’s surface.

This study offers the most comprehensive view of these enigmatic features, suggesting that Venus has a more dynamic interior than previously thought. Most importantly, Venus lacks Earth’s plate tectonics, but maintains a unique form of geological activity that can provide valuable insight into the early history of our own planet before the Earth’s modern structural system is established.

Will accurately drive and study these distinctive circles on the surface of Venus help us understand how Earth evolved billions of years ago?

Gravity data reveals what is beneath it

A team of researchers led by Fallet Casioli at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County combined with sophisticated 3D computer models with Magellan topography and gravity measurements to analyze 75 COVID, large enough to solve with available data.

“These features are not seen on Earth today, but it is possible that our planet was young and existed before plate tectonics was established,” says Casioli. “By combining gravity and topographical data, this study provided new important insights into the underground processes that may now shape the surface of Venus.”

Their analysis revealed compelling evidence that 52 of these coronaes (about 70%) have a buoyant hot mantle plume beneath them. Gravity data proved important for detecting these underground functions, providing information that cannot be identified from the topography alone.

Structural Process Spectrum

Rather than a single formation mechanism, this study found evidence of different types of plume lithosphere interactions that create different corona types. These processes include:

• Short-lived radial subduction – Surface material spreads outward from the upward plume, pushing the surrounding crust down at the edge
• Lithosphere drip – A dense pocket of cool material sinking from Venus’ lithosphere into the hot mantle
• Embedded Plume – Where Hot Materials are raised and trapped under the Lithosphere
• Minor plume – where mantle material accumulates under strong lithospheres

“The most exciting thing about our research is Anna Gürcher, a research co-author who is an Earth and Planetary Scientist at the University of Bern, Switzerland, said:

From the 1990s to new discoveries

What is particularly noteworthy about this study is its reliance on data collected over 30 years ago. Released in 1989 and orbited until 1994, the Magellan spacecraft provided the planet’s most comprehensive gravity and topographic data set.

Magellan’s data resolution is limited to the team analyzing only the largest coronae (approximately 75 out of Venus’ 740 known coronae), but this study shows how combining creative analytical approaches with existing data sets can bring important new insights.

Researchers simulated how different types of mantle plumes interact with Venus’ lithospheres and compared the gravity and topographic signatures that these models predicted in real Magellan measurements to create detailed computer models. This allowed us to identify possible formation mechanisms for specific coronae.

Example from the surface of Venus

The team has identified several notable coronae exemplifying various formation processes. For example, Eithinoha, located in the southern hemisphere of Venus, exhibits features consistent with early to mid- plume-induced crustal recycling. Its distinctive trench, rims and relatively flat interior coincide with the gravity and terrain patterns predicted by the team’s model.

Similarly, Javine and Otygen show evidence of active plume-induced crustal recycling, while Pablova and Arles in the eastern Estra region appear to be formed by hot feathers trapped under the lithosphere of Venus.

I’m looking forward to Veritas

The limitations of this study are primarily due to the relatively low resolution of Magellan’s gravity data, allowing important details to be hidden. NASA’s upcoming Veritas (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, Insar, Topography, and Spectroscopy) missions are scheduled to begin before 2031 and promise to change Venus’ understanding of geology with measurements that dramatically improve their measurements.

“Veritas gravity maps on Venus increase resolution by at least 2-4 times depending on location, which is a level that could revolutionize Venus’ geology and understanding of its early impact on Earth.

With Veritas, scientists hope to resolve 427 Coronae in sufficient detail for analysis. This is almost six times more than what Magellan data can do. This dramatic improvement allows researchers to systematically catalogue the processes that form the Venus surface, potentially drawing out more accurate similarities to Earth’s early geological development.

By revealing that Venus maintains active geological processes driven by hot interiors despite the lack of Earth’s plate tectonics, these findings suggest that planetary neighbours could serve as a natural laboratory for understanding Earth’s distant past.