Published April 1981 | Version Published
Journal Article Open

Plate tectonics on Venus

Abstract

The high surface temperature of Venus implies a permanently buoyant lithosphere and a thick basaltic crust. Terrestrial style tectonics with deep subduction and crustal recycling is not possible. Overthickened basaltic crust partially melts instead of converting to eclogite. Because mantle magmas do not have convenient access to the surface the ^(40)Ar abundance in the atmosphere should be low. Venus may provide an analog to Archean tectonics on the Earth.

Additional Information

© 1981 by the American Geophysical Union. Paper number 1L0179. Received October 20, 1980; accepted January 20, 1981. This research was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Grant No. NGL05-002-069 and the Earth Sciences Section of the National Science Foundation, Grant No. EAR77-14675. Brad Hager made many helpful suggestions for the improvement of the manuscript. Contribution No. 3504, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125.

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Identifiers

Eprint ID
55107
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20150223-132753136

Funding

NASA
NGL05-002-069
NSF
EAR77-14675

Dates

Created
2015-02-23
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Updated
2021-11-10
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Caltech Custom Metadata

Other Numbering System Name
Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Other Numbering System Identifier
3504