WASHINGTON and HOUSTON, Jan. 10,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Why did Venus, Earth's so-called "sister planet," follow such
a drastically different evolutionary path? Unlike Earth, Venus
currently does not operate with plate tectonics and is shrouded in
a dense atmosphere that has led to extreme greenhouse conditions,
rendering liquid water and life as we know it impossible. What led
to this dramatic difference between the sibling planets? Dr.
Matt Weller's latest research,
completed as a Urey Fellow at the Universities Space Research
Association's (USRA) Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), provides
compelling new answers to this enduring mystery.
The study, published in Science Advances, examines
a critical transition in Venus's
tectonic activity, revealing how this shift fundamentally reshaped
its atmosphere. Using sophisticated computational models, Dr.
Weller demonstrates that periodic lithosphere disruptions
--combined with massive volcanic outgassing over millions of years
--may have transformed Venus from
a planet with Earth-like characteristics into the extreme
greenhouse world we observe today. On Venus in the distant past, massive volcanic
outgassing and surface resurfacing events—triggered by shifts in
mantle convection— contributed to the majority of its current
dense atmosphere, some 90 times that of the Earth's, in relatively
short time scales. Over billions of years, these processes created
the runaway greenhouse conditions we see today.
"Our results suggest that Venus
was not always the harsh world we see now," said Dr. Weller. "At
one time, it may have had conditions more akin to that of the
Earth's." Dr. Weller further explained that Venus' history offers a cautionary tale about
how dynamic geological processes can alter a planet's fate. "This
research not only answers long-standing questions about
Venus' past," Dr. Weller added,
"but also underscores how planetary tectonic transitions can drive
profound atmospheric changes."
This research deepens our understanding of Venus and also highlights the potential for
dramatic climate and tectonic changes on other rocky planets.
For more information, visit
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn9861.
About USRA
Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy
of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities
Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation
chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and
engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities and
conducts other major research and educational programs. An
association of 121 university members, it engages the broader
university community, employs in-house scientific talent, and
offers innovative research, development, and project management
expertise.
More information about USRA is available
at www.usra.edu.
About The Lunar and Planetary Institute
The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), an institute of
Universities Space Research Association, was established during the
Apollo program in 1968 to foster international collaboration and to
serve as a repository for information gathered during the early
years of the space program. Today, the LPI is an intellectual
leader in lunar and planetary science. The Institute serves as a
scientific forum attracting world-class visiting scientists,
postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts; supports and
serves the research community through newsletters, meetings, and
other activities; collects and disseminates planetary data while
facilitating the community's access to NASA astromaterials samples
and facilities; engages and excites the public about space science
and invests in the development of future generations of scientists.
The research carried out at the LPI supports NASA's efforts to
explore the solar system. More information about LPI is
available at www.lpi.usra.edu.
PR Contact:
Suraiya
Farukhi, Ph.D.
sfarukhi@usra.edu
443-812-6945 (cell)
Technical Contact:
Dr. Matt
Weller
mweller@lpi.usra.edu
518-276-6474
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SOURCE Universities Space Research Association
