Venus Volcanoes-Alive and Raging

Alive and Raging Scientists have known that Venus has more volcanoes than Earth – about 1,600 major ones, compared to Earth’s 1,500 potentially active ones. There’s a lot of debate as to whether the volcanoes on Venus are still active or dormant, but a recent study suggests that volcanic activity may still be occurring there, Smithsonian Magazine reported. A team of researchers analyzed data collected from the European Space Agency’s now-dead Venus Express orbiter and found evidence of residual volcanic activity, such as blips of sulfur oxide – which on Earth are seen as signs of active volcanoes. The team used a box furnace that can burn at more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit to simulate conditions on Venus, then observed how crystals of olivine – a mineral abundant in volcanic rock – weathered when exposed to heat for days or weeks at a time. Because olivine contains iron, it’s prone to rusting, and researchers noted that in the box furnace the olivine rusted in a matter of days, which is the equivalent to months or years on Venus. The authors suggest that since the orbiter spotted olivine on Venus in 2014, the planet’s volcanoes have been spewing lava over the last few decades. Currently, they are repeating their experiments using other minerals and creating more Venus-like conditions to determine more definitely whether the planet’s volcanoes are still alive.

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