Bizarre Venus Surface Formations Puzzle Planetary Scientists

A new study presented at the European Geosciences Union 2026 General Assembly in Vienna reveals that enigmatic crown-like surface formations on Venus, known as coronae, are crucial for understanding the planet's deep interior. Lead researcher Anna Gulcher from the University of Freiburg utilized decades-old radar data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft to create advanced 3D models of these structures. The research indicates that coronae are not formed by a single mechanism but reflect a spectrum of dynamic processes, likely driven by mantle convection and hot material plumes rising from the planet's interior. The study identified potential warm mantle upwellings beneath 52 of the 741 cataloged coronae, suggesting that tectonic activity on Venus may be more widespread than previously detected by gravity data alone. These findings help decipher Venus's geodynamic regime and offer insights into whether similar processes occurred on early Earth. Unlike Earth, where water facilitates plate tectonics and carbon recycling, Venus's dry environment likely limited such activities. This research underscores the importance of upcoming missions to gather in situ data to further solve the conundrums of Venus's geological history and its divergence from Earth's evolutionary path.