Venus’s Crowned Landscapes: Scientists Reveal the Magma Mysteries Beneath the Planet’s Surface

Ten key theses in English

Джерело: phys.org

1. Unique surface features – Venus’s surface is dotted with circular, crown-like structures called coronae, resembling either terraced hills rising upward or collapsed soufflés sinking downward.
2. Variation in size – Coronae differ significantly in scale, with some being up to ten times larger than others, suggesting multiple formative processes.
3. Research breakthrough – A UC San Diego geophysics team has proposed a new explanation for how these features are formed, published in PNAS.
4. Mantle dynamics – Magma upwellings rise from Venus’s deep interior, similar to Earth’s mantle plumes, but encounter unique obstacles near the surface.
5. “Glass ceiling” effect – At ~600 km depth, a mantle layer with altered crystal structure blocks stronger magma channels, preventing many from reaching the surface.
6. Formation of coronae – Smaller magma blobs that bypass this mantle barrier create the numerous smaller coronae scattered across Venus.
7. Planetary comparison – Unlike Earth, which has moving tectonic plates, Venus has a rigid, single crust, changing how interior heat is expressed on the surface.
8. Broader significance – Studying Venus provides insight into why Earth developed conditions suitable for life, while its “twin planet” became inhospitable.
9. Historical analogy – Researchers compare the current state of Venus studies to Earth science before plate tectonic theory, lacking a unifying explanatory model.
10. Future outlook – Scientists believe this discovery may mark the beginning of a new revolution in planetary geology, unlocking further mysteries of Venus’s interior and evolution.