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Global Stratigraphy and Resurfacing History of Venus

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Advances in Geochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Planetary Sciences

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Abstract

This article summarized the major results of the global geological mapping of Venus that has been conducted by the authors. Main morphological units that make up the surface are described and their relative age relationships are established. Such relationships allow construction of a global stratigraphic model of Venus. The entire observable geologic record of Venus is divided into three distinct regimes of resurfacing when specific styles of endogenous activity were dominated. During the earlier, tectonic, regime most of the tectonized terrains (e.g., tessera) and principal topographic features of Venus formed. The next, volcanic, regime was characterized by the emplacement of vast volcanic plains. During the youngest, network rifting-volcanism, regime both volcanism (large lava flows) and tectonics (rift zones) were about equally important and resurfaced about 10–15% of the surface of the planet. The rate of endogenous activity on Venus has dropped by about factor of ten during this youngest resurfacing regime.

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Acknowledgements

This work is conducted under the GEOKHI RAS state assignment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. V. I. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, 19, Kosygina Str., Moscow, 119991, Russia

    M. A. Ivanov

  2. Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    J. W. Head

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  1. M. A. Ivanov
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  2. J. W. Head
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Correspondence to M. A. Ivanov .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Vernadsky Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Vladimir P. Kolotov

  2. Vernadsky Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Natalia S. Bezaeva

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Ivanov, M.A., Head, J.W. (2023). Global Stratigraphy and Resurfacing History of Venus. In: Kolotov, V.P., Bezaeva, N.S. (eds) Advances in Geochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Planetary Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09883-3_15

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