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A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

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Page 1: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

A thick CO2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Page 2: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Facts about Venus

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Page 3: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Venus Atmospheric Missions

• Mariner 10 – Fly-by in 1973• Pioneer Venus – 5 probes in 1978• Vega 1 and 2 – 2 probes in 1985• Galileo – Fly-by in 1990• Europe’s Venus Express

(orbits in April 2006)

• Messenger (fly-bys October 2006 & June 2007)

Page 4: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view
Page 5: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

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Page 6: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

45 km = 100 Co

Cloud Tops

Page 7: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

The “Greenhouse Effect” on Venus

Page 8: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Carbon dioxide cycle on Earth keeps us from being like Venus

But this cycle would not work if there’s no liquid water!

Page 9: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Single-celled floating

organisms like these

foraminifera construct fragile CaCO3 shells.

When the organisms die,

their shells sink to the ocean floor

and form limestone

deposits, thus trapping CO2.

Page 10: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Limestone deposits in today’s oceans

Page 11: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Spacecraft that have studied the surface of Venus

• Mariner 2 – 1962 – First planetary mission• Pioneer Venus – 1978 - Topography and

atmospheric probes• Veneras 8 – 14, 1975 – 1982 – Landers!• Veneras 15 & 16, 1984 – Orbital radars• Magellan – 1990 – 1994 – Orbital radar images,

topography and gravity data• Europe’s Venus Express, 2006

Page 12: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view
Page 13: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Venera 14 Soviet Lander - 1982

Page 14: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Landing Sites for Venera Spacecraft

Page 15: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Venera 14 views of surface of Venus

Page 16: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

The surface of Venus, imaged by the Venera

14 Lander.

Upper image:CO2 atmosphere

results in reddish color.

Lower image:CO2 removed.

The dark rock is basalt!

Page 17: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Composition of the surface rocks of Venus.The rocks are basalt!

Page 18: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Magellan being launched from Space Shuttle

Page 19: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Topography of Venus from the Pioneer Venus spacecraft

Page 20: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

The “continents” on Venus are as big or bigger than those on Earth

Page 21: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Maxwell Montes over 12 km high!

Page 22: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Maat Mons ~8 km highStill active?

Page 23: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Sapas Mons~400 km dia.

Page 24: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Cleopatra CalderaOn Lakshmi Planum

Page 25: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Tectonic features: Fotla Corona S.E. of Aphrodite Terra

Page 26: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Tessera rolling plains near Maxwell Montes

Page 27: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Rift zones

Page 28: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Stuart Crater

67 km diameterAurelia crater

32 km diameter

Unusual fluid ejecta at impact craters on Venus

Page 29: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Wind streaks – fine particles moved by wind

Page 30: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Isabella crater – Ejecta so hot it flows like lava

Page 31: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

High surface pressure may help pancake domes form

Page 32: A thick CO 2 atmosphere with a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth’s atmosphere hides the planet’s surface from view

Summary of Venus