For the first time, NASA images reveal volcanic activity on Venus

The surface of Venus has many volcanoes, but so far no evidence of recent volcanic activity has been found, however, New data analysis taken three decades ago provide strong evidence of a volcanic eruption.

A study conducted by the University of Alaska (USA) led by Robert Herrick revealed the presence of a vent in Maat Mons volcano About 2.2 square kilometers changed shape and grew over eight months in 1991, which the team points to ongoing volcanic activity.

These types of changes on Earth are associated with volcanic activity, either by An explosion in the vent or from the movement of magma under it, causing the chimney walls to collapse and expand.

The images used in the research were taken by NASA’s Magellan space probe, which arrived at Venus on August 10, 1990 and during its mission took nearly a thousand images, which it was able to analyze again using new technologies.

During his mission, Magellan used radar to image the surface of Venus from various orbits, observing some locations two or three times over the course of two years, including areas that were later identified as possible sites of volcanic activity.

The team focused on a region of Venus that is home to two of the largest volcanoes on the planet, Azza and Maat Monswhich is also comparable in size to the largest on Earth, but with lower slopes, so it is more widespread.

Herrick compared an image from mid-February 1991 to one from mid-October of that year and noticed a change in a vent on the north side, from a circular configuration of about 2.2 square kilometers to an irregular shape of about 4 square kilometers.

The second photograph also indicated that the chimney walls had been shortened, perhaps only a few hundred meters high, and that the chimney was filled almost to the brim.

Researchers speculate with Lava lake formation in the vent During the eight months between the images, though, it is not known if the contents were liquid or were cooled and solidified.

Changes in the walls of the vent could also respond not to a volcanic collapse, but to an earthquake that could have caused the changes.

However, the team notes that avalanches of this magnitude in volcanoes on Earth have always been accompanied nearby volcanic eruptions; The magma is drawn out from under the chimney because it is going elsewhere.

The surface of Venus is geologically young. Herrick noted that estimates of how often eruptions could occur were speculative, ranging from several large eruptions per year, to every several or even every tens of years.

The researcher said it could be now The planet Venus is volcanically activemeaning that there are at least a few eruptions per year.”

Therefore, he considered that it was expected that “the missions coming to Venus will monitor the new volcanic flows that have occurred since the Magellan mission ended three decades ago, and we should note some activity while the next two orbital missions collect images.”

EFE