A new study indicates that some of Venus's giant rift valleys formed recently and may still be widening. Researchers at ETH Zurich used advanced 3D models to challenge the view of the planet as geologically dormant. The findings point to ongoing tectonic activity beneath the surface.
Scientists at ETH Zurich have produced the first high-resolution 3D simulations of rift formation on Venus. Led by Professor Taras Gerya with lead author Xi Yang, the team found that broad elevated rift flanks appear when the structures are young and still moving. The models show the rifts can widen at rates of 3 to 10 centimeters per year.
The study, published in Nature Geoscience, compared the simulated features with images from the Magellan probe. It concluded that some rifts are much younger than the previously assumed 100 million years. Rift flanks flatten over time as the crust relaxes, matching observed landscapes.
The results suggest Venus has a more active interior than long believed. ETH researchers are contributing instruments to ESA's EnVision mission, which is scheduled to launch in the early 2030s to study the planet's surface and interior in greater detail.