VOA科学技术2024--New Data Suggest Widespread Volcanic Activity on Venus

New examinations of data collected from Venus suggest the planet is more volcanically² active than previously³ thought.

The finding is based on radar⁴ images captured by Magellan, an orbiting spacecraft that the American space agency NASA operated. NASA officials have described Magellan as one of the most successful deep space missions in the agency's history.

The spacecraft became the first to map nearly the whole surface of Venus during a five-year mission beginning in 1989. The orbiter made other discoveries about the planet as well. Venus is similar in structure and size to Earth and is also our closest planetary neighbor.

Italian researchers studied radar images captured by Magellan from 1990 to 1992. The effort resulted in the discovery of what the team believes to be large lava⁵ flows in two new areas.

The research team said the latest finding - combined with evidence from past studies - means the volcanic¹ activity on Venus is likely comparable to Earth's. The team recently published its results in a study appearing in Nature Astronomy.

Davide Sulcanese of Italy's d'Annunzio University was the lead writer of the study. He told Reuters news agency, "These findings significantly change our understanding of the degree to which Venus is volcanically active."

One of the two newly identified areas is near a volcano on Venus called Sif Mons. The volcano - which sits near an area called Eistla Regio - is estimated to be about 300 kilometers wide. Radar images from the area suggest a lava flow created a rock structure extending for 30 square kilometers.

The other big lava flow was discovered in a large volcanic plain in an area known as Niobe Planitia. The researchers said the rock structure created by this lava flow is about 45 square kilometers.

Scientists have estimated that both lava rock formations have an average depth between three and 20 meters. The team believes the lava flows were related to volcanic activities that were taking place during Magellan's mapping mission.

Another co-writer of the study was planetary scientist Giuseppe Mitri of d'Annunzio University. He told Reuters both volcanoes are thought to be "shield volcanoes." This means lava from the volcanoes flows easily because it faces less resistance.

Scientists say it is important to study active volcanoes to understand more about what happens below the planet's surface. Volcanic activity can, they say, greatly affect how a planet grows and develops over time.

The new study builds on past evidence of ongoing⁶ volcanic activity on Venus. One 2023 study found a volcanic vent⁷ in another area called Atla Regio. The area is near the planet's equator and contains two of the planet's largest volcanoes.

The researchers said radar images showed that a vent on the surface had expanded and changed shape over an eight-month period in 1991. The discovered vent is on Maat Mons, the planet's highest volcano.

But Sulcanese said the latest study "is the first to provide direct proof of lava flows formed during the Magellan mission period." He noted⁸ that the additional evidence was identified because the radar images clearly observed changes "in surface morphology and radar data."

Scott Hensley is a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He said in a statement, "This exciting work provides another example of volcanic change on Venus from new lava flows that augments¹⁰ the vent change...reported last year."

Hensley added, "This result, in tandem¹¹ with the earlier discovery of present-day geologic¹² activity, increases the excitement in the planetary science community for future missions to Venus."

Words in This Story

mission - n. a flight by an aircraft or spacecraft to perform a specific task

lava - n. hot, melted rock that comes out of a volcano

plain - n. a large area of flat land

shield - n. something that protects something or someone from something dangerous or unpleasant

vent - n. a hole in something that lets air and other materials in

morphology -n. the study of how things are structured

augment⁹ - v. to increase in size or amount

in tandem - phr. to do something together or at the same time

1 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

2 volcanically   

adv.火山似地，猛烈地

参考例句：

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

5 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

7 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

10 augments   

增加，提高，扩大( augment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He augments his income by teaching in the evening. 他通过晚上教书来增加收入。
• Neostigmine augments the motor activity of the small and large bowel. 新斯的明增强小肠和大肠的运动功能。

11 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

12 geologic   

adj.地质的

参考例句：

• The Red Sea is a geologic continuation of the valley.红海就是一个峡谷在地质上的继续发展。
• Delineation of channels is the first step of geologic evaluation.勾划河道的轮廓是地质解译的第一步。