Venus_Texbook_Part

Geology of Venus

The study of the geological characteristics and processes that shape the surface of Venus.

Plate tectonics

The geological process characterized by the movement of large plates on the planet's surface, which is absent on Venus.

Venera 7

The first probe to land and transmit data from the surface of Venus.

Pioneer Venus orbiter

The spacecraft that created the first global radar map of Venus.

Magellan spacecraft

The US spacecraft that produced high-resolution imaging radar maps of Venus.

Lava plains

Lowland areas on Venus, primarily composed of basaltic lava, covering about 75% of the planet's surface.

Coronae

Large circular or oval features on the surface of Venus produced by subsurface volcanic activity.

Ishtar Terra

The northern highland region of Venus, comparable in size to Australia, containing the highest elevations.

Maxwell Mountains

The highest mountain range on Venus, located in the Ishtar region.

Greenhouse effect

The process by which carbon dioxide traps heat in Venus's atmosphere, leading to extreme surface temperatures.

Runaway greenhouse effect

A climatic condition where increased temperatures lead to further release of greenhouse gases, exacerbating warming.

Impact craters

Depressions on a planetary surface formed by collisions with meteoroids, indicating the age of the surface.

Atmospheric composition

The chemical makeup of the atmosphere, with CO2 being the most abundant gas on Venus, making up 96%.

Sulfuric acid clouds

Clouds in Venus's atmosphere composed primarily of sulfuric acid droplets, formed from sulfur dioxide and water.

Volcanism

Geological activity involving the movement of molten rock, resulting in the formation of volcanoes.

Tectonic forces

Forces that result from the movement of materials within the planet's mantle, leading to geological features like ridges and cracks.