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Radar signatures of active lava flows on Venus

Although ongoing volcanic activity on Venus has been hypothesized, directly detecting active lava flows is challenging. Now, an analysis of Magellan radar images of Venus acquired at different times provides indications of ongoing volcanic activity in two distinct areas. This evidence also suggests a planet more volcanically active than previously thought.

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Fig. 1: Change detection analysis of backscatter at two locations on Venus.

References

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This is a summary of: Sulcanese, D. et al. Evidence of ongoing volcanic activity on Venus revealed by Magellan radar. Nat. Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02272-1 (2024).

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Radar signatures of active lava flows on Venus. Nat Astron (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02275-y

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