{"id":786714,"date":"2024-08-02T06:48:53","date_gmt":"2024-08-02T11:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=786714"},"modified":"2024-08-02T06:48:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T11:48:53","slug":"venus-continents-suggest-surprising-link-to-early-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=786714","title":{"rendered":"Venus’ ‘continents’ suggest surprising link to early Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"
New research has revealed that Venus, often considered Earth’s inhospitable twin, may share a surprising geological history with our own planet.<\/p>\n
Scientists have discovered that Venus’ vast plateaus, known as tesserae, may have formed through processes similar to those that created the Earth’s earliest continents billions of years ago.<\/p>\n
The international study, led by Associate Professor Fabio Capitanio from the Monash University School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment,in collaboration with NASA, is published in the journal Nature Geoscience<\/i>.<\/p>\n
“The study challenges our understanding of how planets evolve,” Associate Professor Capitanio said.<\/p>\n
“We did not expect Venus, with its scorching 460\u00b0C surface temperature and lack of plate tectonics, to possess such complex geological features.”<\/p>\n
Using high-performance computer simulations and data from the Magellan spacecraft, researchers modeled the formation of Ishtar Terra, Venus’ largest plateau.<\/p>\n
The results suggest that Ishtar Terra and other tesserae may have risen from the planet’s hot interior through a process similar to the formation of Earth’s cratons\u2014the ancient cores of our continents.<\/p>\n
“This finding provides a fascinating new perspective on Venus and its potential links to early Earth,” Associate Professor Capitanio said.<\/p>\n
“The features we found on Venus are strikingly similar to Earth’s early continents, suggesting that the dynamics of Venus’ past may have been more similar to Earth’s than previously thought.”<\/p>\n
Understanding how these “continents” formed on Venus could shed light on the evolution of rocky planets, including our own.<\/p>\n
Earth’s cratons hold crucial clues about the emergence of topography, atmosphere, and even life.<\/p>\n
“By studying similar features on Venus, we hope to unlock the secrets of Earth’s early history,” Associate Professor Capitanio said.<\/p>\n
“Our research has paved the way for future missions to Venus, such as DAVINCI, VERITAS, and EnVision.<\/p>\n
“These missions will provide further insights into Venus’ geological history and its connection to Earth.”<\/p>\n
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More information:<\/strong> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCapitanio, F.A., et al. Ishtar Terra highlands on Venus raised by craton-like formation mechanisms. Nature Geoscience<\/i> (2024). DOI: 10.1038\/s41561-024-01485-3<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMonash University<\/p>\n