Scientists have confirmed the existence of the first known lava tube on Venus, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of the planet’s volcanic history and potential for harboring subsurface environments. The finding, based on a reanalysis of data collected between 1990 and 1992 by NASA’s Magellan spacecraft, marks a significant milestone in Venus exploration.
The research, led by a team at the University of Trento in Italy and funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), was published on February 9 in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers were able to identify and characterize the subterranean structure, formed by lava flows that solidified externally, leaving a hollow conduit – a phenomenon previously observed on Earth, the Moon, and Mars, but only theorized about on Venus.
The analysis focused on the volcanic region of Monte Nyx, where radar imagery indicated a localized collapse on the surface. According to Lorenzo Bruzzone, coordinator of the research and director of the Remote Sensing Laboratory at the University of Trento, advanced imaging techniques allowed the team to reconstruct the geometry of the underground conduit from this visible depression. “The identification of a volcanic cavity is of particular importance due to the fact that it allows us to validate theories that have been only hypotheses for many years,” Bruzzone stated.
The results indicate a lava tube nearly a kilometer in diameter, with a roof at least 150 meters thick and an internal void no less than 375 meters deep. These dimensions place the structure among the largest ever identified in the solar system, exceeding most terrestrial tubes and approaching the upper limit predicted for lunar formations. This discovery highlights the potential for extensive subsurface networks on Venus, offering new avenues for exploration.
Venus’s physical conditions contribute to this scale. Lower gravity than Earth and an extremely dense atmosphere favor the rapid formation of a solid crust over lava, allowing molten material to flow underneath and create wider, more stable conduits. The presence of such structures reinforces the idea that the planet had, and possibly still has, intense and prolonged volcanic activity.
While the data currently confirms only the portion near the visible skylight, the terrain’s morphology and the existence of other similar depressions support the hypothesis that the subsurface system could extend up to 45 kilometers. Confirmation of this extent will depend on future observations, planned for missions like Envision, from the European Space Agency (ESA), and Veritas, from NASA, both equipped with radars capable of probing the Venusian subsurface with greater precision.
Beyond deepening our understanding of Venus’s geological evolution, the discovery redefines the possibilities for researching one of the solar system’s most enigmatic planets. “This result opens new perspectives for the study of the planet,” Bruzzone summarized. Beneath its perpetually cloudy skies, Venus is finally beginning to reveal what it hides in its depths.
