Hot lava flows discovered on Venus

Hot lava flows discovered on Venus
Jun 18, 2015
by EarthSky in » Science Wire, Space

Scientists know that volcanoes have crackled on the surface of Venus for much of the planet’s history. Now, using data from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Venus Express spacecraft, an international team of researchers has found new evidence that suggests some of those Venusian volcanoes are still active.

In combing through Venus Express, the scientists found transient spikes in temperature at several spots on the planet’s surface. The hotspots, which were found to flash and fade over the course of just a few days, appear to be generated by active flows of lava on the surface.

The research was published online in Geophysical Research Letters in May, 2015.

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The latest finding is consistent with other data from Venus Express that have hinted at very recent volcanic activity. In 2010, infrared imaging from several volcanoes seemed to indicate lava flows from thousands to a few million years old. A few years later, scientists reported transient spikes in sulfur dioxide in Venus’ upper atmosphere, another potential signal of active volcanism.

Now, using a near-infrared channel of the spacecraft’s Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) to map thermal emission from the surface, the team of planetary scientists has spotted localized changes in surface brightness between images taken only a few days apart.

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