ETH Demonstrates Tectonic Activity on Venus

(CONNECT) Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) have used new computer models to demonstrate that Venus is a tectonically active planet. According to a press release , the team led by Taras Gerya, professor of geodynamics in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, was able to use high-resolution, three-dimensional images to show that changes to the surface had occurred only very recently. The research refutes previous assumptions that Venus is geologically inactive.

Using measured data, the researchers simulated rift valleys on Venus in high resolution and, for the first time, in three dimensions. The resulting simulations showed that rift flanks rise when younger geological movements occur. About 8 percent of Venus's surface is covered by rift zones, some of which are about 40 kilometers long. The current simulations are also confirmed by images from the Magellan probe, which completed its mission in the 1990s.

Based on the models and calculations, the researchers conclude that Venus remains an active planet to this day. "The results help us better assess the tectonic activity on Venus," Taras Gerya is quoted as saying in the press release.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning the EnVision mission for the early 2030s. Gerya and ETH geophysics professor Paul Tackley, along with their collaborators, are currently developing instruments that the Venus orbiter will use to scan the planet's surface. The latest study has been published in the journal*Nature Geosciences*. ce/ww