Decades-old radar images reveal that active volcanoes on Venus may be quite a common phenomenon

Numerous decades-old radar images reveal that active volcanoes might be a common occurrence on Venus, indicating the planet is far more volcanically active than previously thought. This discovery came into light after detailed analysis of photos taken by NASA's Magellan spacecraft between 1990 and 1992. This is reported by SSP.

"This definitely is another step in the path to understanding Venus as a living, breathing world," comments Paul Byrne from Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. Although Byrne did not partake in the study, he acknowledges its significance.

The Magellan spacecraft's images initially helped identify changing volcanic vents that seemed to be spilling fresh lava. In efforts to expound these initial findings, a new team of scientists meticulously examined Magellan’s radar photos, uncovering signs of volcanic activity in two notable areas: the western slopes of Sif Mons, a large volcano, and Niobe Planitia, an extensive flat region replete with volcanic vents.

Researchers discovered features resembling lava flows, attributed to landslides initially, yet the features appeared at relatively flat sites, conflicting with landslides occurrence rationale.

"These changes in surface appearance in radar best align with lava flows," concurs Byrne.

According to the study released in Nature Astronomy, the complexity of analyzing Venus's vast and low-resolution radar data made the discoveries challenging. Consequently, many additional volcanic sites might still remain concealed.

Supplementary insights emerged from a study pursued by Davide Sulcanese and team from Italy’s International Research School of Planetary Sciences. They detected fresh lava paths on Venus, revealing that the planet could rival Earth's volcanic activity.

"This conclusion is most reasonably explained by fresh lava flows," notes Roberto Herrick from University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, aligning with the collective stance arguing Venus’s volcanic nature, further supported by features on Ozza and Maat Mons.

Comparatively, Venus's inconstant volcanic eruptions differ from Jupiter’s moon Io, which showcases robust and continuous volcanic eruptions.

NASA aims to dispatch two probes in the 2030s to augment our understanding by mapping Venus's surface in higher resolution, potentially unveiling additional active volcanic sites and solidifying our understanding of volcanic activities across planetary boundaries.

Earlier, SSP reported that Mysterious Maya underground structure was unearthed in Mexico.