🌍 Planetary Geology – Venus' Thin Crust and Subsurface Recycling

A recent study published in Nature Communications, led by planetary scientist Julia Semprich from The Open University (UK), reveals that Venus has a surprisingly thin crust-averaging about 40 km in thickness, with an estimated maximum of 65 km.

Unlike Earth, Venus lacks active plate tectonics. However, researchers propose that its crust undergoes a process of density-driven metamorphism and recycling. As the crust thickens, its lower layers become denser than the underlying mantle, causing them to delaminate (detach) and sink into the planet’s interior.

This recycling mechanism may explain why Venus remains geologically active despite not having plate tectonics. The models suggest that once the crust exceeds 65 km, it destabilizes and either melts or detaches, maintaining volcanic and geological activity..

These findings challenge previous assumptions about Venus’ structure and offer new insights into its thermal and structural evolution. Upcoming NASA missions like VERITAS and DAVINCI aim to further explore Venus’ surface and interior, providing crucial data to test these models and expand our understanding.

Source: NASA Planetary Science Division.

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