Ellen R. Stofan

Venus tectonics: An overview of Magellan observations

The nearly global radar imaging and altimetry measurements of the surface of Venus obtained by the Magellan spacecraft have revealed that deformational features of a wide variety of styles and spatial scales are nearly ubiquitous on the planet. Many areas of Venus record a superposition of different episodes of deformation and volcanism. This deformation is manifested both in areally distributed strain of modest magnitude, such as families of graben and wrinkle ridges at a few to a few tens of kilometers spacing in many plains regions, as well as in zones of concentrated lithospheric extension and shortening. The common coherence of strain patterns over hundreds of kilometers implies that even many local features reflect a crustal response to mantle dynamic processes. Ridge belts and mountain belts, which have characteristic widths and spacings of hundreds of kilometers, represent successive degrees of lithospheric shortening and crustal thickening. The mountain belts of Venus, as on Earth, show widespread evidence for lateral extension both during and following active crustal compression. Venus displays two principal geometrical variations on lithospheric extension: the quasi-circular coronae (75–2600 km diameter) and broad rises with linear rift zones having dimensions of hundreds to thousands of kilometers. Both are sites of significant volcanic flux, but horizontal displacements may be limited to only a few tens of kilometers. Few large-offset strike slip faults have been observed, but limited local horizontal shear is accommodated across many zones of crustal stretching or shortening. Several large-scale tectonic features have extremely steep topographic slopes (in excess of 20°–30°) over a 10-km horizontal scale; because of the tendency for such slopes to relax by ductile flow in the middle to lower crust, such regions are likely to be tectonically active. In general, the preserved record of global tectonics of Venus does not resemble oceanic plate tectonics on Earth, wherein large, rigid plates are separated by narrow zones of deformation along plate boundaries. Rather tectonic strain on Venus typically involves deformation distributed across broad zones tens to a few hundred kilometers wide separated by comparatively undeformed blocks having dimensions of hundreds of kilometers. These characteristics are shared with actively deforming continental regions on Earth. The styles and scales of tectonic deformation on Venus may be consequences of three differences from the Earth: (1) The absence of a hydrological cycle and significant erosion dictates that multiple episodes of deformation are typically well-preserved. (2) A high surface temperature and thus a significantly shallower onset of ductile behavior in the middle to lower crust gives rise to a rich spectrum of smaller-scale deformational features. (3) A strong coupling of mantle convection to the upper mantle portion of the lithosphere, probably because Venus lacks a mantle low-viscosity zone, leads to crustal stress fields that are coherent over large distances. The lack of a global system of tectonic plates on Venus is likely a combined consequence of a generally lesser strength and more limited horizontal mobility of the lithosphere than on Earth.

Radar Soundings of the Subsurface of Mars

The martian subsurface has been probed to kilometer depths by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument aboard the Mars Express orbiter. Signals penetrate the polar layered deposits, probably imaging the base of the deposits. Data from the northern lowlands of Chryse Planitia have revealed a shallowly buried quasi-circular structure about 250 kilometers in diameter that is interpreted to be an impact basin. In addition, a planar reflector associated with the basin structure may indicate the presence of a low-loss deposit that is more than 1 kilometer thick.

Global distribution and characteristics of coronae and related features on Venus: Implications for origin and relation to mantle processes

Coronae on Venus range from 60 to over 2000 km across and are characterized by a complex range of morphologies. The annuli around coronae range from about 10 to 150 km across and have tectonic features ranging from extensional to compressional to a combination of both. Topographically, coronae are domes, plateaus, plateaus with interior lows, and rimmed depressions. A subset of features classified here as coronae corresponds to depressions and is interpreted to consist of large-scale calderas. A number of features have been identified with many of the basic characteristics of coronae (similar interior deformation, associations with volcanism, high topography) but lacking a distinct tectonic annulus. These features tend to be somewhat smaller than coronae and may represent “failed” coronae or coronae in an early stage of evolution. The size distribution of coronae and coronalike features with maximum widths greater than about 250 km is well represented by a power law of the form N(D) = kD−α, where N is the number of coronae with maximum widths greater than D (km) and α = 3.05. The spatial distribution of coronae is not random; the features are concentrated in a few groups and along several chains. Coronae are similar in many morphologic characteristics to major volcanic shield structures and volcanic rises such as Western Eistla Regio. The largest corona, Artemis, is actually larger than several volcanic rises on Venus. Coronae and volcanic rises appear to be surface manifestations of mantle plumes. There is no evidence of any systematic variation in age along chains of coronae as occurs in hotspot chains on Earth. Instead, a number of multiple and overlapping coronae may indicate limited movement of the surface above a hotspot or mantle plume. The morphology and size distribution of coronae, highlands, and major shields suggest that mantle upwelling on Venus operates either on several spatial scales, with coronae representing smaller-scale upflows and major volcanic rises representing larger convective upwellings, or on several temporal scales, with coronae representing shorter duration upflows and major volcanic rises representing long-term upwellings.

Magellan mission summary

Magellan started mapping the planet Venus on September 15, 1990, and after one cycle (one Venus day or 243 Earth days) had mapped 84% of the planets surface. This returned an image data volume greater than all past planetary missions combined. Spacecraft problems were experienced in flight. Changes in operational procedures and reprogramming of onboard computers minimized the amount of mapping data lost. Magellan data processing is the largest planetary image-processing challenge to date. Compilation of global maps of tectonic and volcanic features, as well as impact craters and related phenomena and surface processes related to wind, weathering, and mass wasting, has begun. The Magellan project is now in an extended mission phase, with plans for additional cycles out to 1995. The Magellan project will fill in mapping gaps, obtain a global gravity data set between mid-September 1992 and May 1993, acquire images at different view angles, and look for changes on the surface from one cycle to another caused by surface activity such as volcanism, faulting, or wind activity.

The morphology and evolution of coronae on Venus

Coronae on Venus are large, circular to ovoidal surface features that have distinctive tectonic, volcanic, and topographic expressions. They range in diameter from less than 200 km to at least 1000 km. New data from the Magellan spacecraft have shown coronae to be among the dominant tectonic forms on the planet and have revealed their morphology in unprecedented detail. Typical coronae are dominated by concentric tectonic features and have a raised rim, a central region higher than the surounding plains but in many instances lower than the rim, and, commonly, a peripheral depression or “moat”. Some coronae also show significant amounts of radial tectonic structure, and in most cases this predates the concentric features. In addition, there are other features on Venus, recognized for the first time in Magellan data, that consist of domical rises with intense radial tectonic patterns and little or no concentric structure. All of these features commonly are associated with moderate to large quantities of volcanism. In fact, some radially fractured domes have undergone so much volcanism that volcanic construction appears to have played a significant role in establishing their topography. We explore a model of corona formation that links these forms into a genetic sequence. The model begins with the ascent of a mantle diapir. Upward mantle flow driven by its ascent forces the lithosphere above the diapir upward, producing a gentle dome with a radiating pattern of extensional fractures. As the diapir impinges on the underside of the lithosphere it flattens and spreads, transforming the uplift to a more flat-topped shape. In this flattened, near-surface configuration the diapir can cool rapidly. With the resultant loss of buoyancy the raised plateau can relax to form a central sag, a raised rim, and a depressed moat. Concentric tectonic features develop primarily during the latter stages of corona formation and hence are best preserved on mature coronae. Volcanism takes place during all phases of the uplift and may diminish as the relaxation occurs. Our analyses to date suggest that this scenario is broadly consistent with many of the coronae on Venus. However, there is enormous diversity in corona morphology, and features are present that require substantial deviations from this simple model. In particular, some circular depressions appear corona like in synthetic aperature radar images but may in fact be large calderas. Some of the variations observed in corona morphology may ultimately be interpretable in terms of variations in the behavior of individual diapirs and in the local properties of the Venusian lithosphere.

Recent hotspot volcanism on venus from VIRTIS emissivity data

Hotspots on Venus The surface of Venus shows clear signs of volcanism, but are there active volcanoes on Venus today? The answer to this question will bear on our understanding of the planets climate evolution and interior dynamics. Using surface thermal emissivity data returned by the Venus Express spacecraft, Smrekar et al. (p. 605, published online 8 April) looked at three hotspots on Venus. These places were identified by analogy with terrestrial hotspots like Hawaii, which are believed to overlie mantle plumes and to be the most likely sites for current volcanic activity. Lava flows at the three hotspots have anomalously high thermal emissions when compared with their surroundings. Low emissivity is generally interpreted as the result of surface alteration by the corrosive atmosphere of Venus. High emissivity implies that not much alteration took place and thus that the hotspots must represent recently active volcanoes younger than 2.5 million years. Satellite observations suggest that Venus is a geologically active planet. The questions of whether Venus is geologically active and how the planet has resurfaced over the past billion years have major implications for interior dynamics and climate change. Nine “hotspots”—areas analogous to Hawaii, with volcanism, broad topographic rises, and large positive gravity anomalies suggesting mantle plumes at depth—have been identified as possibly active. This study used variations in the thermal emissivity of the surface observed by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer on the European Space Agency’s Venus Express spacecraft to identify compositional differences in lava flows at three hotspots. The anomalies are interpreted as a lack of surface weathering. We estimate the flows to be younger than 2.5 million years and probably much younger, about 250,000 years or less, indicating that Venus is actively resurfacing.

GEOPHYSICAL MODELS FOR THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF CORONAE ON VENUS

Coronae are large circular features on Venus characterized by an annulus of concentric tectonic features, interior fracturing, volcanism, and generally upraised topography. They are suggested to form over sites of mantle upwelling and modified by subsequent gravitational relaxation. We examine this proposition using two geophysical models to determine whether and under what conditions these mechanisms can produce the topography and tectonics exhibited by coronae in the Magellan altimetry data and radar images. Our results show that mantle diapirism can produce the domical topography of novae, which may be coronae in the earliest stage of formation. The model stresses induced at the surface by a mantle diapir imply the formation of radially oriented extensional fracturing as observed in novae. The dimensions of novae indicate that the diapirs responsible for them are smaller than about 100 km in radius and that the elastic lithosphere is less than 32 km thick. Diapirs that have reached the top of the mantle are expected to spread and flatten, producing plateaulike rather than domical topography. We model a flattened diapir at the top of the mantle and show that it will result in plateaulike uplift. The volume of the flattened model diapir is similar to that of the spherical diapirs derived for novae. We model gravitational relaxation of isostatically uncompensated plateaus and show that they relax to the topographic forms associated with coronae and that the model stresses are consistent with the development of the annulus of tectonic features around coronae.

Radar Sounding of the Medusae Fossae Formation Mars: Equatorial Ice or Dry, Low-Density Deposits?

The equatorial Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) is enigmatic and perhaps among the youngest geologic deposits on Mars. They are thought to be composed of volcanic ash, eolian sediments, or an ice-rich material analogous to polar layered deposits. The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instrument aboard the Mars Express Spacecraft has detected nadir echoes offset in time-delay from the surface return in orbits over MFF material. These echoes are interpreted to be from the subsurface interface between the MFF material and the underlying terrain. The delay time between the MFF surface and subsurface echoes is consistent with massive deposits emplaced on generally planar lowlands materials with a real dielectric constant of ∼2.9 ± 0.4. The real dielectric constant and the estimated dielectric losses are consistent with a substantial component of water ice. However, an anomalously low-density, ice-poor material cannot be ruled out. If ice-rich, the MFF must have a higher percentage of dust and sand than polar layered deposits. The volume of water in an ice-rich MFF deposit would be comparable to that of the south polar layered deposits.

Corona Structures on Venus' Models of Origin

Coronae on Venus are circular to elongate structures with maximum widths of 150–1000 km characterized by annuli of concentric ridges surrounding complex interiors. The features have raised topography relative to the surroundings, they are associated with volcanic activity, and most are partially surrounded by a peripheral trough. Variations in morphology between individual coronae are due to differences in their stage of evolution and/or differences in the relative significance of the geologic processes that occur in each stage. We examine models for three processes that may be involved in corona origin and evolution: (1) a hotspot or rising mantle diapir model, (2) a sinking mantle diapir model, and (3) gravitational relaxation of topography. Rising mantle diapirs are caused by heating at depth (e.g., hotspot), while sinking mantle diapirs may result from cooling or a phase change causing increased density and negative buoyancy at the base of the lithosphere. The hotspot model is most consistent with the major characteristics of coronae, with gravitational relaxation occurring as a modificational process. The sinking mantle diapir would produce dominant central compression that has not been observed at coronae; however, higher-resolution image and altimetry data from Magellan can be used to distinguish more fully between the two models. Coronae in various states of formation and degradation can be identified in the Venera 15/16 data, suggesting that the process may be continuing today.

Surface modification of Venus as inferred from Magellan observations of plains

In Sedna Planitia, clear stratigraphic relations can be discerned among volcanic flow units. Young flows exhibit SAR specific cross section values similar to fresh terrestrial basalt flows, whereas older flows exhibit backscatter signatures similar to degraded terrestrial basalt flows. Total degradation of ∼1 m depth over ∼0.6 b.y. is inferred for the Sedna area from radar signatures, impact crater abundances, and ejecta superposition relations with respect to volcanic flow units. Analyses of parabolic ejecta deposits associated with the crater Stuart imply that the material is typically centimeters in thickness. A relatively small fraction (∼10%) of Venusian impact craters exhibit prominent parabolic ejecta deposits. These craters are interpreted to be relatively young and parabolic deposits are interpreted to be dispersed by aeolian activity over at least tens of millions of years. The inferred dispersal rate (<10−3 μm/yr) is too low to produce the degradation of flows at Sedna Planitia, and it is concluded that the dominant flow modification process is in situ weathering. In addition, elevation dependent weathering is inferred in western Ovda Regio, where plains above 6054 km radius have enhanced reflection coefficients as compared to adjacent plains at lower elevations. The inferred rate of generation of high reflection coefficient materials is no more than ∼10−2μm/yr, based on the inability of aeolian activity to cover high-reflectivity surfaces with normal reflection coefficient materials and the ubiquitous nature of high-reflectivity surfaces at high elevations. Surface modification rates on Venus are orders of magnitude lower than on Earth. Venusian rates are also much lower than the inferred rate of aeolian dispersal of friable materials on Mars but are comparable to the estimated rate of weathering and erosion of Martian bedrock. Low surface modification rates imply that it will be possible to determine regional-scale age variations on Venus based on the degree of preservation of volcanic landforms and microwave signatures.