Idunn Mons: Evidence for Ongoing Volcano-tectonic Activity and Atmospheric Implications on Venus

Abstract

In 2010 the ESA Venus Express Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument first observed 1 μm emissivity anomalies over the top and eastern flank of Idunn Mons (46° S; 146° W), a 200 km wide volcano located in Imdr Regio, a volcano-dominated large volcanic rise of Venus. The anomalies suggest the presence of chemically unweathered and fresh volcanic deposits, which provided the first hint that volcanism in this area may have been active during the past few million years. Subsequent studies have investigated the geologic and atmospheric evolution at Idunn Mons, but no study has comprehensively investigated the evolution and the implication for recent activity in Idunn Mons. Previous work, using both VIRTIS data and Magellan radar emissivity data, confirmed the occurrence of unaltered basaltic lava flows at Idunn Mons. Building on that previous work, experimental laboratory studies have revealed that chemical weathering on Venus may act much faster than previously expected, which suggests very young ages for these flows. This inference has been supported by investigations of the tectonic fracturing surrounding Idunn Mons. Finally, atmospheric data from VIRTIS also show regional anomalies in the speed of the winds in the lower atmosphere over Imdr Regio, which may be related to very recent or ongoing volcanism. In this paper, we take a comprehensive approach, using atmospheric to surface measurements, including recent laboratory experiments, to constrain the evolution of Idunn Mons. Our work suggests that Idunn Mons may be geologically both volcanically and tectonically active today.