Geologists working in the United States have found that Earth and Venus share a similar crust thickness. The finding appeared in a study that synthesizes radar data and planetary measurements. Researchers describe how Venus, like Earth, carries a lithospheric shell whose outer layer shows a comparable thickness to our planet. Data used in the analysis came from a long-term radar mapping mission that orbited Venus in the 1990s, providing detailed views of surface structure and crustal boundaries.
The team performed numerous calculations and concluded that the average lithospheric thickness on Venus is 11 ± 7 kilometers. The results point to dynamic interior processes on Venus that resemble the ones seen on Earth, including mantle plumes, intrusive magmatism, and exfoliation that contribute to heat transfer toward the surface. These mechanisms suggest that Venus has retained a degree of interior activity capable of shaping its crust and volcanic systems over geological timescales.
Based on the evidence, researchers propose that Venus may have resembled early Earth during the Archean eon, roughly between 4 and 2.5 billion years ago, when the planet was actively cooling and differentiating its interior. This comparison emphasizes a potential shared path of crust formation and tectonic development during those ancient eons, despite the divergent evolutionary histories that followed for the two worlds.
Earlier work by an international team with ties to NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies suggested that Earth could experience volcanic and thermal conditions similar to Venus, on occasion. The idea centers on the possibility that Earth has circulated through phases of intense volcanic activity that contribute to surface heating, atmospheric changes, and crustal renewal, much like what is observed on Venus when volcanic processes surge.
In sum, the collective findings illuminate a surprising degree of crustal parity between Earth and Venus, at least in terms of outer shell thickness and interior dynamics. The research highlights how radar intelligence from historic orbital missions can continue to deepen understanding of planetary interiors, crust formation, and the long-term evolution of rocky planets within and beyond our solar system. Attribution: Nature Geoscience for the core measurements, with ongoing synthesis of supporting data from multiple space agencies and observatories. [Nature Geoscience, attribution for core measurements]”