- Venus has large plateaus called tesserae.and a new study suggests they formed through processes similar to those that created the first continents on Earth.
- But Venus does not have plate tectonics, which played a key role in the formation of continents and mountains on Earth. So scientists are surprised!
- The new study focused on Ishtar Terrathe second largest tile on Venus. It is about the same size as Australia.
Venus has no oceans, so it does not have continents in the same sense as Earth, but it does have vast plateaus called tilesthat are similar to continents. Now, a new study suggests that the tiles may have more in common with Earth's continents than previously thought. Researchers saying on August 2, 2024, that both the Venusian tiles and the first land continents on Earth could have formed through similar processes, although Venus has no plate tectonicsthe process that, in our world, creates both continents and mountain ranges.
The research team, led by Fabio Capitanio from the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University, published is peer reviewed findings in Nature Geoscience on August 2, 2024.
Venus' 'continents' challenge planetary knowledge
Because Venus lacks plate tectonics, the findings came as a surprise to planetary scientists, who did not expect Venus to have geological processes as complex as those that gave rise to the continents on Earth.
Captain saying:
The study challenges our understanding of planetary evolution. We did not expect Venus, with its scorching surface temperature of 460 degrees Celsius (860 F) and lack of plate tectonics, to have such complex geological features.
The study focused on one tile in particular, called Land of Ishtarin the northern hemisphere. It is the second-largest plateau on Venus, comparable in size to Australia. Researchers used computer simulations to see what the region looked like billions of years ago.
Similarities with the first continents of the Earth
The researchers said the Venusian tiles may have formed through a geological process quite similar to those that produced Earth's first continents. Those continents began as ancient cratonsthe oldest parts of the Earth's continental crust. Cratons are the stable interior portions of continents, usually composed of ancient crystalline basement rock. In cratons, the rock is older, denser, and stronger. In total, there are about 35 known cratons on Earth.
Scientists say they were first formed by pushing up through the Earth's molten interior. They then hardened and became the cores of what are now the modern continents.
Captain aggregate:
This discovery offers a fascinating new perspective on Venus and its possible links to early Earth. The features we found on Venus are surprisingly similar to Earth's early continents, suggesting that Venus's past dynamics may have been more similar to Earth's than previously thought.
Divergent evolutionary paths
Scientists say Venus was much more Earth-like and possibly even had oceans. But something happened and Venus and Earth took very different evolutionary paths. The new results may provide more clues about how these two worlds became so different. On Venus, the findings suggest the divergence began after cratons formed, but before plate tectonics could begin.
This can help scientists better understand how rocky planets like Venus and Earth form and evolve. It also provides clues about how a rocky planet might develop and maintain habitability, like Earth, or end up becoming uninhabitable on its surface, like Venus. So by studying the history of Venus, scientists can also learn more about that of Earth. Like Capitanio, noted:
By studying similar features on Venus, we hope to unlock secrets of Earth's early history.
Bottom line: A new study suggests that Venus’s “continents” — vast plateaus known as tesserae — may have formed in a way very similar to Earth’s early continents.
Source: Ishtar Terra highlands on Venus, uplifted by craton-like formation mechanisms
Read more: Does phosphine on Venus mean… life?
Read more: Active volcanoes on Venus revealed again in Magellan data
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