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Plateau formation on Venus similar to early continent formation on Earth

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Computational simulations of Venus’s geodynamics show the formation of large tessera plateaus. Matching of the models with spacecraft orbiter data constrains the mechanism that may have formed the topography of Ishtar Terra and other plateaus on Venus, suggesting that these features might have formed by a mechanism similar to that of the early continents on Earth.

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Fig. 1: Comparison of observations from Ishtar Terra with a computational simulation.

References

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This is a summary of: Capitanio, F. A. et al. Ishtar Terra highlands on Venus raised by craton-like formation mechanisms. Nat. Geosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-1485-3 (2024).

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Plateau formation on Venus similar to early continent formation on Earth. Nat. Geosci. 17, 717–718 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01486-2

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