Evidence of Ancient Lava Tube Discovered on Venus
Researchers analyzing NASA's Magellan data have identified a subsurface lava tube on Venus, marking the first such discovery on the planet.
Scientists have identified a subsurface lava tube on Venus, marking the first such discovery on the planet. The analysis focused on radar data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft, which orbited Venus between 1990 and 1992. The feature, located on the western slope of Nyx Mons—a massive shield volcano in Venus's northern hemisphere—appears to be a collapsed lava tube. Lava tubes are underground channels formed by flowing lava during volcanic eruptions. While such structures are common on Earth and have been observed on the Moon and Mars, this is the first direct identification on Venus. The discovery suggests that Venus may be more geologically active than previously thought. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.