A group of researchers published an article stating that the modern composition of the atmosphere of Venus could arise only if, at the beginning of its existence, it had lithospheric plates that moved. This conclusion contradicts everything that scientists have known about this planet so far.
Amazing crust of Venus
Scientists from Brown University recently published a study that could change our understanding of Venus. This planet is surrounded by a very dense atmosphere, heated to high temperatures. At the same time, scientists are sure that its geology is very different from Earth’s.
There are many volcanoes on Venus, and some of them are still active. At the same time, they are grouped not along tectonic faults but exclusively where magma flows melt the thin crust of the planet. Because there are no tectonic plates, which means there are no faults on it.
Scientists have only recently come to the conclusion that the crust of Venus is quite thin. However, it is still believed that there have never been any gaps in it. And it was this conclusion that the researchers questioned.
What the researchers say
Scientists analyzed the composition of the atmosphere of Venus and came to the conclusion that it simply could not have formed unless we assumed that at the very beginning, the lithosphere of Venus was divided into separate tectonic plates, very similar to those that existed then on Earth.
However, in their opinion, the movement of these plates was very limited even then. It stopped completely about 3.5 billion years ago, after which the planet became as we know it. On Earth, tectonic plates continued to exist separately, which led to the formation of modern continents.
According to phys.org
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