Venus’ mysterious circle suggests a lost chapter in the history of the earth

According to new research published in scientific progress, the mysterious circular feature on Venus may be a attraction for ongoing geological activity. By analyzing decades of data from NASA’s Magellan mission through fresh computational techniques, scientists have found evidence that many of Venus’ coronary arteries (large, ring-shaped structures surrounded by fissures) are driven upward from under the Earth by hot mantle material.

The study provides the most comprehensive view of these mysterious features and suggests that Venus’ interiors are more dynamic than previously thought. Most importantly, these findings suggest that despite the lack of Earth’s plate tectonics, Venus maintains its own unique form of geological activity that can provide valuable insight into the early history of our own planet before establishing the Earth’s modern tectonic system.

What drives these unique circles to form on the surface of Venus and can be studied to help us understand how the Earth developed billions of years ago?

Gravity data reveals the following

A research team led by Gael Cascioli of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, combines complex 3D computer models with Magellan’s topography and gravity measurements to analyze 75 coronary arteries, enough to resolve in available data.

“These characteristics are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed before our planet was young and before plate tectonics were established,” Cascioli said. “By combining gravity and topographic data, this study provides new and important insights into the current underground processes that shape the surface of Venus.”

Their analysis shows that convincing evidence shows that 52 of these coronary arteries (about 70%) have buoyancy underneath them, hot mantle – a strong indication of continuous activity. Gravity data proved to be crucial for detecting these underground features, and the information provided was only discernible from the terrain.

Construction process

This study is not a single formation mechanism, but finds evidence of interactions between various plume formations, resulting in different corona types. These processes include:

• Short-life radial subduction – Surface material diffuses from rising plumes and downward-pushing edges
• Lithosphere drip – From dense cooler material sinks in the lithosphere of Venus into the hot mantle
• Embedded plume – Thermal material rises and is captured by the lithosphere
• Plumeria – Mantle material accumulates under the strong lithosphere

“What is most exciting for our research is that we can now arguably have all kinds of ongoing positive processes that drive their formation,” said Anna Gülcher, an Earth and Planetary Scientist at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

From data from the 1990s to new discoveries

What’s particularly outstanding about this study is that it relies on data collected 30 years ago. The Magellan spacecraft, launched in 1989 and did not sail to Venus until 1994, provides the most comprehensive set of gravity and terrain data for the planet.

Although Magellan’s data solution limited the team to analyze only the largest coronary arteries (about 75 out of 740 known coronary arteries on Venus), the study shows that combining creative analytical methods with existing data sets can generate important new insights.

The researchers created detailed computer models that simulated the possible interaction of different types of mantle plumes with Venus’ lithosphere, and then compared the gravity and topographic markers of these models with actual Magellan measurements. This allows them to identify possible mechanisms of formation of specific coronary arteries.

Examples of Venus’s surface

The team identified several notable crowns that embody different formation processes. For example, Eithinoha, located in the southern hemisphere of Venus, demonstrates characteristics consistent with early to medium-sized pinnacle recovery. Its unique grooves, edges and relatively flat interior match the gravity and terrain patterns predicted by the team model.

Similarly, Javine and Otygen show evidence of active plume crust recovery, while Pavlova and Aruru in the eastern part of the Eastla region appear to be formed by hot plumes trapped under the Venus lithosphere.

Looking forward to Veritas

The limitations of this study are largely due to the relatively low resolution of Magellan’s gravity data, which can mask important details. NASA’s upcoming Veritas (Venus Launch, Radio Science, Insar, Terrain and Spectroscopy) mission, planned no earlier than 2031, and they are expected to change our understanding of Venus’ geology with significantly improved measurements.

“Venus’ Veritas gravity map will be increased by at least two to four times, depending on location, which is a detail that could revolutionize our understanding of Venus’ geology and its impact on the early Earth.”

With Veritas, scientists hope to be able to analyze 427 crowns in detail for analysis – nearly six times more likely than Magellan’s data. This dramatic improvement will allow researchers to systematically classify the processes that shape the surface of Venus and potentially similar to the early geological developments of Earth.

By revealing that Venus maintains active geological processes driven by its thermal interior, despite the lack of Earth’s plate tectonics, these findings suggest that our planetary neighbors can serve as natural laboratories to understand Earth’s distant past-Our planet develops systems of currently moving tectonic plates, but when similar plume processes may affect its surface.