Natalia Chi
Scientists say data from more than 30 years ago show Venus to be volcanic. NASA’s Magellan spacecraft collected images of the planet’s surface between his 1990 and 1992, and researchers recently searched that data to study possible volcanic activity within the terrain.
Researchers from the University of Alaska and the California Institute of Technology have discovered two large volcanoes in California. Atlaregio region of Venus – Planetary highlands. Ozza and Maat Mons were once thought to be volcanoes, but researchers have identified volcanic vents, holes in which they erupt, making them two of the largest volcanoes on Earth. confirmed. Published in Science.
“Mts Ozza and Mt Maat have volumes comparable to the largest volcanoes on Earth, but they are lower sloped and more spread out,” said Robert Herrick, a research professor at the University of Alaska’s Fairbanks Geophysical Laboratory. says. said in a news release.
NASA
The researchers spent about 200 hours comparing the images taken. Through Magellan’s Mission, found that volcanic vents changed over time, suggesting volcanic activity. A change in the crater could mean either that magma filled it and expanded, or that magma was expelled from the crater and the crater partially collapsed.
A news release said the Maat Mons crater had expanded, indicating volcanic activity, but an earthquake may have caused the change. But when Earth’s volcanic craters change this dramatically, it coincides with nearby volcanic eruptions.
Questions remain about Venus’ volcanoes, but researchers believe they are less active than Jupiter’s moon Io.
Herrick said Venus has “at least a few eruptions a year.”
“Future Venus missions are expected to observe new volcanic flows that have occurred since the end of the Magellan mission 30 years ago. We need to make sure there is some activity on the ,” he said.
Mars may also have active volcanoes, but “most scientists would probably need to look at the surface for millions of years to get a reasonable chance of seeing new lava flows.” will say,” he said.
CBS News has reached out to Herrick for more information and is awaiting a response.
Kaitlyn O’Kane
