New research has revealed unexpected details about the surface of Venus, Earth’s scorching hot twin.
Scientists had long assumed that Venus’s crust would be thick and stable, gradually growing over time without the kind of geological forces that reshape Earth’s surface.
However, a new study published in Nature Communications suggests that Venus’s crust is much thinner than expected—about 25 miles (40 kilometers) on average and at most 40 miles (65 kilometers) thick.
On Earth, the outer layer of rock is divided into massive plates that slowly move, crash into each other, and sometimes slide beneath one another in a process called subduction.
This movement helps control the thickness of Earth’s crust.
As one plate is forced beneath another, it sinks into the mantle, where increasing pressure and temperature cause it to change. This process, called metamorphism, can even lead to volcanic eruptions.
Venus, however, is different. Its surface is made up of one solid crust with no evidence of plate tectonics like on Earth, according to Justin Filiberto, deputy chief of NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division.
Despite the lack of plate movement, the study’s models show that Venus’s crust is still changing. As the crust grows thicker, the bottom of it becomes incredibly dense.
Instead of continuing to grow, it either breaks off and sinks into the mantle or heats up enough to melt. This cycle—where crust breaks off or melts—keeps the surface surprisingly thin and may even contribute to volcanic activity.
Filiberto explained that this breaking off or melting process could help send water and other elements back into Venus’s interior.
This movement of material may drive volcanic eruptions and shape the planet’s surface over time.
It also suggests that Venus has its own unique way of recycling its crust, despite lacking the moving plates that Earth has. This discovery reshapes the way scientists understand how Venus’s geology, atmosphere, and volcanic activity are connected.
The next step for researchers is to gather direct data about Venus’s surface. Several upcoming missions are set to explore the planet more closely, including NASA’s DAVINCI mission, which will study the deep atmosphere, and the VERITAS mission, which will map the surface in detail.
In collaboration with the European Space Agency, the EnVision mission will also provide further insights into Venus’s surface and atmosphere.
These missions aim to confirm whether the processes described in the study—metamorphism and recycling of the crust—are actively happening today. This information could reveal how these geological changes are tied to volcanic eruptions and shifts in Venus’s atmosphere, offering new clues about the planet’s fiery history and evolution.
“We don’t actually know how much volcanic activity is on Venus,” Filiberto noted. “We think there’s a lot, but we need more data to be sure.” These future missions could finally answer that question, unlocking new secrets about Earth’s mysterious neighbor.
