Although Venus does not have plate tectonics today, previous episodes of intense tectonic activity could have resulted in a distribution of crustal thickness and age resembling the plate we see today.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Predicting the Unique Shape of Craters on Asteroid (16) Psyche
Models link the variety of crater shapes expected on (16) Psyche with the interior structure of this unique asteroid, in preparation for the arrival of the Psyche probe in 2026.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Traces of Impacts on Warm Planetesimals Early in Solar System
Meteorite NWA 11004 contains evidence of melting preceding an impact dated to 4546±36 Ma. Short lived radioactive decay had already heated the parent body of this meteorite before the impact.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Clearer Look at Lunar Surface Hydration
Independent ground-based observations of the Moon confirm prior spacecraft observations that hydration at the lunar surface varies with temperature.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Up Close with an Active Asteroid
A new journal special collection investigates the ejection of particles from the asteroid Bennu and the implications of these observations for asteroid science.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Self-Repairing Blemishes on the Surface of Mars
A new study of small impact craters at Mars landing sites suggests that active processes degrade and infill depressions at similar rates in locations separated by thousands of kilometers.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Megaripple Migration Offers Insights into Martian Atmosphere
The movement of large sand ripples, documented for the first time, suggests Mars is windier than we thought.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Curiosity Solves the Mystery of Gale Crater’s Hematite Ridge
A new special issue of JGR: Planets details the water-rich history of a distinctive geomorphic feature on Mars dubbed Vera Rubin ridge, as investigated by the Curiosity rover.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Lifting the Veil on Martian Dust Storms
A special collection in JGR Planets presents insights from a long-awaited global dust storm on Mars in 2018 that was closely scrutinized by five orbiting and two landed spacecraft.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Capturing Pluto’s Heartbeat in a Computer
Unprecedented global climate model simulations, incorporating observational data from the New Horizons mission, reveal atmospheric circulations driven by a large ice cap on Pluto.