Less than a month ago, scientists were unsure if Venus had active volcanoes. Now, a new map reveals that there could be at least 85,000 of them covering the surface of the hellish planet.
Until recently, experts believed that Venus was probably a geologically dead planet that was incapable of volcanic eruptions. In the past, scientists identified thousands of volcanoes on Venus, as well as coronas — flattened volcano-like features covered in solidified lava. The planet has a gooey flowing mantle beneath its outer crust, and its atmosphere is rich with carbon dioxide and sulfur, indicating that the planet had a volcanic past. However, Venus no longer has any tectonic plates, which play a key role in volcanic activity and major eruptions on Earth. For that reason, scientists deemed it unlikely that any of the Venusian volcanos were currently or had recently been active.
