Revealing Earths Sister: New Research Uncovers Active Geological Life on Venus

A study released in the journal Science Advances on May 14, 2025, has provided new insights that suggest Venus remains geologically active. Venus and Earth share similar dimensions and both experienced significant water loss billions of years ago. This commonality has prompted inquiries about why Venus became so hostile to life while Earth is thriving. After over thirty years of exploration, NASA’s Magellan spacecraft examined the surface of Venus, revealing signs of molten material ascending from the planet’s depths, indicating that the crust continues to evolve.

Scientists Suggest Venus Might Still Be Geologically Alive

Research indicates that Venus is indeed geologically active, with its surface being reshaped due to internal heat. Researchers studied large, circular formations known as coronae, which develop when intense mantle heat elevates the crust and collapses it into round indentations.

Gael Cascioli, a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, pointed out that this offers significant insights into subsurface dynamics. Out of 75 coronae studied utilizing NASA’s Magellan spacecraft data, 52 are located over active, buoyant mantle plumes, which is quite astonishing.

Resemblances Between Venus and Early Earth

Anna Gulcher, co-leader of the research, noted that these ongoing geological processes resemble those on Earth. Venus possesses hundreds of coronae, especially in regions with thin crust and high thermal activity.

The Unexpectedly Thin Crust of Venus

Justin Filiberto from NASA’s Astromaterials Research Division discovered that the crust on Venus could fracture or melt if its thickness surpasses just 65 kilometers, indicating it is a remarkably thin layer.

Recycling of the Crust and Volcanic Activity

The processes of crustal shear not only modulate the surface but also recycle materials, such as water from Venus’s interior, which ignites volcanic activity and alters the atmosphere. This mechanism fundamentally resets the interrelation of geology, atmosphere, and crust on Venus.

Future Missions to Reveal More Insights

Planned missions include NASA’s VERITAS and DAVINCI. Additionally, ESA’s EnVision will supply high-resolution data to validate these findings. Suzanne Smrekar highlighted that these missions hold the potential to transform our comprehension of Venus’s geology alongside insights into Earth’s history.