Latest news with #GaelCascioli
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Venus may still be 'alive' after all, shocking reanalysis of 30-year-old NASA data reveals
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have uncovered fresh evidence that Venus is not dead — geologically speaking. Venus and Earth are similar in size and were bombarded by comparable amounts of water billions of years ago. This shared origin has long fueled one of planetary science's biggest questions: Why did Venus become a hellish, uninhabitable world while Earth flourished into a cradle for life? Now, more than three decades after NASA's Magellan spacecraft mapped Venus' surface, scientists have found signs of hot material rising from the planet's interior, indicating that its crust is still being sculpted from within. The findings, published May 14 in the journal Science Advances, add to a growing body of evidence that Venus, despite lacking Earth's plate tectonics, may share more internal dynamics with our planet than scientists previously thought. Related: Molecule responsible for robbing Venus of its water may finally have been identified "This research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus," Gael Cascioli, an assistant research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland who co-led the new study, said in a statement. The latest evidence focuses on dozens of large, ring-shaped features on Venus' surface. These features, known as coronae, form when plumes of hot rock rise from deep within the mantle, pushing the crust upward. As the surface cools and collapses, a circular structure is left behind. Cascioli and his team simulated several formation scenarios for these features and compared their results with data from Magellan. The predicted and actual data aligned so closely for some coronae that "we could hardly believe our eyes," Cascioli told Scientific American. Of the 75 coronae they resolved in the Magellan data, 52 appear to sit above buoyant mantle plumes, according to the new study. "We can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation," Anna Gülcher, a planetary scientist at the University of Bern in Switzerland who co-led the new study, said in the statement. "We believe these same processes may have occurred early in Earth's history." Venus hosts hundreds of such coronae, many of which are found in areas where the planet's crust is particularly thin and heat from below is high. Recent research simulated how different rock types behave under Venus' extreme conditions. The findings suggest that the planet's crust may break off or melt once it reaches around 40 miles (65 kilometers) thick, and in many areas, it is likely even thinner. "That is surprisingly thin, given conditions on the planet," Justin Filiberto, deputy chief of NASA's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division in Houston, who co-authored the study about Venus' crust, said in a different statement. This shedding or melting of the crust not only helps regulate Venus' surface structure but could also recycle water and other materials back into the planet's interior, potentially fueling volcanic activity and influencing its atmosphere, Filiberto explained. "It resets the playing field for how the geology, crust and atmosphere on Venus work together," he said. These recent findings offer testable predictions for upcoming missions to Venus that will gather direct data about the planet's crust and geology to refine existing models. RELATED STORIES —Japan loses contact with Akatsuki, humanity's only active Venus probe —Venus is leaking carbon and oxygen, and scientists aren't totally sure why —Photographer snaps extremely rare 'green flash' coming from Venus Scientists aim to pinpoint areas of surface activity using data from NASA's VERITAS mission, which will map the planet's surface at a resolution two to four times higher than previous missions. Another NASA mission, DAVINCI, slated for 2029, will focus on studying Venus' atmosphere and surface chemistry, while the European Space Agency's EnVision mission, targeted for 2030, will provide high-resolution surface mapping. These missions will deliver "a level of detail that could revolutionize our understanding of Venus's geology and its implications for early Earth," study co-author Suzanne Smrekar, a planetary scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, said in the statement.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Curious circles on Venus suggest its surface is still changing
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new study reveals overlooked signs of geological activity on Venus — clues that the planet's mysterious surface is still changing today. These signs, found in giant circular features called "coronae," may not only reshape our understanding of Venus, but also offer a glimpse into Earth's own ancient past. Coronae are vast, oval-shaped structures ranging in size from dozens to hundreds of miles wide. They are believed to form when hot, plumes from deep inside a planet push against its outer shell called the lithosphere. Imagine a slow-motion bubble of molten rock pressing upward beneath the surface, warping and cracking the crust above. These dramatic geological features, encircled by rings of fractures, are scattered across Venus, offering a stunning window into the planet's inner workings, scientists say. "They are very large features, and people have proposed different theories over the years as to how they formed," said coauthor Anna Gülcher, a planetary scientist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, in a NASA/JPL statement. "The most exciting thing for our study is that we can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation." These massive ovals once dotted our planet's landscape, so studying them on Venus can reveal much about both planets, scientists say. "Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established," said the study's lead author, Gael Cascioli, assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland in the statement. "By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus." To figure out the most likely process behind the formation of coronae on Venus, the team built a 3D computer model that simulates the flow of hot material inside the planet — like a virtual experiment of the planet's inner workings. They tested different formation scenarios and compared their results with gravity and topography data collected by NASA's Magellan spacecraft, which mapped Venus in the early 1990s. The gravity data, which measured the strength of gravity at different points along the planet's surface, turned out to be a game-changer. This is because denser material pulls more strongly on nearby objects, while less dense material exerts a weaker pull. The data helped the scientists detect hidden plumes of hot, less dense material rising from deep inside Venus, something that surface maps alone couldn't reveal. Out of 75 coronae examined, 52 showed signs of these underground forces still at work, hinting that tectonic activity may be more widespread on Venus than previously thought. The team believes that several tectonic processes may be shaping Venus's surface around the coronae. In some cases, subduction-like activity — a process where one part of a planet's outer shell is forced downward into the hotter, deeper interior — occurs as hot plumes rise and push surface material outward and downward. This is similar to how tectonic plates interact on Earth. They also say that another process called lithospheric dripping, which involves cooler, heavier parts of the surface sinking into the hotter mantle below, could be responsible for the tectonic activity underlying the coronae. A third possibility is that plumes beneath thicker crust trigger volcanic activity above. RELATED STORIES: — Venus facts: Everything you need to know about the 2nd planet from the sun — How 'Earth's twin' Venus lost its water and became a hellish planet — Mysteries of Crown-like Structures on Venus' Surface Unveiled in New Study Whatever the cause of the coronae might be, they suggest that Venus may be geologically active in complex and varied ways, giving researchers insight into how tectonics might work on planets without Earth-like plate boundaries — and possibly how Earth looked in its earlier, more dynamic past. While a significant and extensive study, the team relied on old data, and higher resolution images captured by the upcoming VERITAS mission will help them clarify their results. "The VERITAS gravity maps of Venus will boost the resolution by at least a factor of two to four, depending on location — a level of detail that could revolutionize our understanding of Venus' geology and implications for early Earth," said study coauthor Suzanne Smrekar, a planetary scientist at JPL and principal investigator for VERITAS, in JPL's statement. VERITAS is set to launch in 2031. A study of coronae on Venus was published in the journal Science Advances.
India Today
15-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Venus is deforming: 36-year-old data reveals big quakes changing the planet
Nasa's Magellan mission launched in 1989 has now revealed unknown facts about Venus, which is also dubbed as Earth's mysterious discovered, hidden in the archival data, new evidence that tectonic activity may be deforming the Venus's is another similarity the planet could be sharing with Earth, which is continually renewed by the constant shifting and recycling of massive sections of crust, called tectonic plates, that float atop a viscous interior. This artist's concept of the large Quetzalpetlatl Corona located in Venus' Southern Hemisphere depicts active volcanism and a subduction zone, where the foreground crust plunges into the planet's interior. (Photo: Nasa) advertisementResearchers studied a type of feature called a corona that ranges in size from dozens to hundreds of miles across. Nasa said that corona is most often thought to be the location where a plume of hot, buoyant material from the planet's mantle rises, pushing against the lithosphere structures are usually oval, with a concentric fracture system surrounding them. Hundreds of coronae are known to exist on details, published in the journal Science Advances, reveal the evidence of this tectonic activity within data from NASA's Magellan mission, which orbited Venus in the 1990s and gathered the most detailed gravity and topography data on the planet currently available.'Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established. By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus,' the study's lead author, Gael Cascioli said. Vast, quasi-circular features on Venus' surface may reveal that the planet has ongoing tectonics. (Photo: ESA) advertisementThe spacecraft used its radar system to see through Venus' thick atmosphere and map the topography of its mountains and plains. Researchers found a number of coronae on Venus. "The most exciting thing for our study is that we can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation. We believe these same processes may have occurred early in Earth's history,' coauthor Anna Glcher work marks the latest instance of scientists returning to Magellan data to find that Venus exhibits geologic processes that are more Earth-like than originally findings can enhance the development of new spacecraft being readied for Venus that also includes India's Shukrayaan. Must Watch
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Venus May Be More Earth-Like Than We Thought – And It's Still Moving
A new study of Venus suggests that the deeply inhospitable world may be more like Earth than we thought. A new delve into archival data collected decades ago suggests that the alien planet has ongoing tectonic-like processes that are deforming its surface and recycling its crust. If this is the case, then the large, round features on the Venusian surface called coronae may be the key that unlocks our understanding of the planet's interior processes. "Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established," says planetary scientist Gael Cascioli of the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus." Venus doesn't have tectonic plates, like Earth does. Here on our home world, the fragmented plates into which the crust is divided generate a vibrant, active geology and surface features, allowing heat to escape, and recycling crustal material. Even without tectonic plates, however, the Venusian surface is riddled with evidence of internal activity that pushes up from below and creates deformations. One such feature is the coronae. Coronae look a bit like impact craters, consisting of a raised ring, like a crown, surrounding a sunken middle, with concentric fractures radiating outwards. They can be hundreds of kilometers across. Scientists initially thought these structures were craters, but closer analysis revealed that they're volcanic in nature. They're thought to be caused by plumes of hot molten material welling up from the planet's interior, pushing the surface upward into a dome that then collapses inward when the plume cools. The molten material then leaks out of the sides of the collapsed dome to form the ring. Although Venus doesn't have tectonic plates, tectonic activity is thought to exist in the form of interactions between mantle plumes and the lithosphere. The researchers thought that these interactions could be occurring under the coronae. They developed models to describe different scenarios for the formation of coronae by way of plumes. Then, they compared these models against gravity and topography observations collected by NASA's Magellan probe, which spent several years orbiting and studying Venus in the 1990s. They used the topography data to identify 75 coronae, and the gravity data to understand what was going on underneath them. The team found that 52 of the coronae cap hot, buoyant plumes of molten material that are less dense than the surrounding material, likely driving tectonic processes. There are two processes that occur here on Earth that could be taking place under coronae on Venus. The first is subduction. On Earth, that occurs when the edge of one tectonic plate gets slurped underneath the edge of the adjacent plate. On Venus, it would look a bit different. As a plume pushes upwards, it forces the surface material to spread outwards and collide with other surface material, pushing some down into the mantle. The other process is lithospheric dripping. As the underside of the lithosphere, or crust, is heated from below, it can start to melt itself, gradually forming oozy drips that are nevertheless cooler and denser than the molten material below, so they eventually break off and fall down into the planetary interior. We don't know for sure, of course. Between its searing surface temperatures, crushing atmospheric pressure, and acid rain, Venus presents quite a few barriers to exploration. Nevertheless, coronae should, the scientists say, be a major focus for future investigation, not least because of the potential parallels with our own world. "Coronae are abundant on Venus. They are very large features, and people have proposed different theories over the years as to how they formed," says planetary scientist Anna Gülcher of the University of Bern in Switzerland. "The most exciting thing for our study is that we can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation. We believe these same processes may have occurred early in Earth's history." The research has been published in Science Advances. The Martian Night Sky Was Seen Turning Green in a Stunning First JWST Captures Jupiter's Auroras 'Fizzing And Popping With Light' Survey of More Than 1,300 Stars Uncovers Unexplained Pulses of Light
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Something is moving under the surface of Venus
Mysterious features on the surface of Venus might suggest that there is activity under its surface, scientists have suggested. Almost circular features on the surface might suggest that it has active tectonics, according to new research. Though the findings are new, the data used to discover them are actually more than 30 years old, originally found by Nasa 's Magellan mission. The behaviour is similar to the tectonic plates found on Earth, which are huge sections of crust that move on top of a viscous interior and are constantly changing the surface. Venus doesn't have tectonic plates, but researchers suggest that it is nonetheless being changed by molten material that is beneath the surface. To understand the deformations in the surface, researchers looked at coronae that are found on Venus. They can be anywhere from dozens to hundreds of miles across, there are hundreds of them on the planet, and they are thought to be formed when material rises from the planet's mantle and pushes against the crust above. The findings not only shed light on the nearby planet but might also tell us about the history of Earth. 'Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established,' said the study's lead author, Gael Cascioli, assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. 'By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus.' The data was gathered by the Magellan mission, which remains the best data on the gravity and topography of Venus despite having orbited the planet in the 1990s. That data includes details on the coronae, but at the time it was taken the cause of them remained mysterious. Researchers have proposed a number of explanations for them. But the new research involved creating detailed models that looked at what would happen if the coronae were formed by plumes from underneath – and then compared those simulations with the real data from the planet. They appeared to match up. Researchers found that of the 75 coronae in the study, 52 of them appeared to have floating mantle material underneath that is probably affecting the surface. Scientists hope that the Magellan data could soon be joined by Nasa's VERITAS mission, which will launch no earlier than 2031 and will provide new detail on the planet's gravity and other details. That could not only help understand those coronae but its geology more generally.
