Geological Secrets of Venus: Insights into Early Tectonic Activity and the History of the Solar System

KOMPAS.com – The planet Venus may hold geological secrets similar to those of early Earth.

Recent research suggests that Venus may have had plate tectonic activity similar to Earth.

These findings give rise to speculation about the early life of Venus and the history of the Solar System in general.

Tectonic activity on Venus

In the Nature Astronomy report, scientists show that the atmospheric composition and surface pressure of Venus today are indications of early tectonic activity.

These processes, which are essential for life, involve the interaction of continental plates, which move apart, collide, or slide beneath each other.

Also read: What is the potential for life on Venus?

Meanwhile, tectonic movements over billions of years on Earth gave birth to continents and mountain ranges. This triggers chemical reactions that stabilize Earth’s surface temperature, making it a life-friendly planet.

In contrast, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system with temperatures high enough to melt lead.

Traditionally, Venus is believed to have a “stagnant lid,” a single, rigid surface plate with minimal activity, movement, and gas release into the atmosphere. However, new findings have challenged this theory.

To justify the high levels of nitrogen and carbon dioxide in Venus’ atmosphere, research shows that Venus experienced plate tectonic movements between 4.5 and 3.5 billion years ago.

This means that Earth and Venus may indeed have tectonic behavior simultaneously.

Also read: Why is one day on Venus longer than one year?

Earth’s twin planet

Venus Venus and Earth are so similar in size, density, and location relative to the sun that the two planets are called twins.

These similarities are important because Venus did not evolve to be like Earth for reasons unknown to scientists.

It is possible that Venus was more like Earth in the past, with habitable surface temperatures and water oceans perhaps 300 m deep. But, as time goes by, the history of these planets changes.

There are key differences between modern Earth and Venus. First, Venus receives about twice as much energy from the sun as Earth does and so is naturally hotter.

Venus’s atmosphere is CO2 dominated and is 90 times thicker than Earth’s atmosphere. This is an important distinction that reflects its possible post-formational history.

Also read: Scientists Deny There is Life on the Planet Venus

Venus has very thick clouds and is surrounded by mid-level clouds made of sulfuric acid droplets (aerosols) and other gases that have not been well measured.

Venus also has a slow rotation relative to Earth. As a result, Venus’s solar day is longer than the time it takes (one Venusian year) to orbit the sun, and it even rotates backwards relative to the other planets.

Its rotation makes Venus a very unique planet, compared to Earth which has 24 hours a day and 365.25 days a year.

Thus, Venus may be an ideal example of a terrestrial-sized planet that lost its “habitability” criteria over time due to various factors.

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2023-10-28 11:00:00
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