- Venus is extremely hot and dry on its surface. But scientists think it once had much more water, perhaps even oceans.
- Large networks of polygonal cracks cover Venus’ surface in low-lying areas. A new study says they might have formed in seafloor mud as the water evaporated.
- It’s still a hypothesis right now, but it would support other studies postulating ancient oceans on Venus.
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Polygonal cracks on Venus: How did they form?
Much of Venus’ surface is covered in long cracks. And scientists are still debating how they formed. One possible explanation has been volcanic rock that cooled and contracted to form the cracks. But there’s another – and more exciting – possibility. Some of the cracks might have formed in seafloor mud. That’s what a team of researchers from University of London and Imperial College in the U.K. say in a new paper titled The Lost Oceans of Venus.
These vast, polygonal cracks are found in low-lying regions of Venus. And they do look very similar to ones in seafloor mud on Earth. Thick layers of waterlogged clay get buried, compacted and squeezed dry over time. Did the same thing happen on Venus?
The intriguing peer-reviewed findings were published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters on July 29, 2026.
6 types of cracks
Venus orbits the sun one step inward from Earth. Its cloud-covered surface has created a runaway greenhouse effect on the planet, giving it surface temperatures averaging roughly 464°C (867°F). So it’s hot enough on the surface of Venus to melt lead! And as a result we tend to think about Venus as a blazing hot world on its surface, which is also known to have features resembling volcanoes. But oceans on Venus? Could have happened?
The cracks might be evidence that it’s possible.
There are various types of cracks found on the surface of this neighboring world. One of them is composed of polygon shapes, in low-lying plains. Each polygon is about 1 to 2 kilometers (0.6 to 1.2 miles) across. The researchers then further divided these polygons into six distinct types. And, they say, the patterns overall are much more similar to cracks in dried-out seabeds than to cracks formed by volcanoes.
Similar cracks on Earth can be found in the Mediterranean Sea. A long time ago, almost 6 million years, it almost completely dried up. As the water gradually evaporated, it left behind thick salt deposits and cracks, like what we see on Venus.
Plus, there are also long, winding channels on Venus called canali by scientists. For some years, scientists have thought that flowing lava formed them. But they’re also similar to channels carved on seafloors.
In addition, wrinkled ridges in the lowlands might be above salt deposits, similar to on Earth.
The debate continues
These researchers have presented an interesting, even compelling, scenario. But it’s not proof yet of an ancient ocean on Venus. That will require more study to confirm, or not.
And some other studies have been doubtful about long-lost Venusian oceans.
So the debate will continue, until definitive evidence is found of ancient oceans on Venus. That might require future missions that will study the surface and atmosphere in unprecedented detail.
In another recent study, researchers discovered concentric rings in Venus’ atmosphere, above its thick layers of clouds. The rings are actually waves or ripples, but very ring-like!
Bottom line: Sprawling, huge cracks on Venus have long puzzled scientists. A new study suggests the polygon shapes formed from drying mud on an ancient seafloor.
Source: The lost oceans of Venus
Via Phys.org
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