Venus also has seismic activity like earthquakes. Scientists believe that we can study them in the near future. They have proposed three ways to do this.
Study of quakes on Venus
Instruments aboard the robotic landers measure seismic activity on the Moon and Mars, helping researchers discover the inner workings of these celestial bodies. But the internal structure of Venus remains unexplored, partly because strong winds and high temperatures make it much harder to detect quakes on the second planet from the sun.
Three approaches to studying quakes on Venus are now plausible, write Raphael Garcia and colleagues in a paper published in the journal Earth and Space Science. Ground-based sensors like those used on the Moon and Mars can measure seismic waves. Pressure sensors on balloons can measure infrasound waves, the shape of low-frequency waves in the atmosphere that occur during quakes. And satellite instruments can measure airglow, or light emission from molecules in the upper atmosphere that manifest subtle oscillations when perturbed by infrasound waves.
In this study, the authors reviewed current estimates of the planet’s seismicity to weigh the pros and cons of each method.
Best option for measurements
Measuring thermal radiation is now the best option for detecting seismic activity on Venus, the authors conclude. Combining airglow measurements with long-term balloon-based sensors would offer an even more reliable approach and reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation of readings, they said.
Their study helps to constrain the requirements for future Venusian seismicity-focused missions, while at the same time pointing to areas for improvement. These areas include a better understanding of the geographic distribution of quakes and the creation of more detailed noise models for each technology.
Provided by phys.org
