'Venus is not dead': NASA discovers signs of active tectonics beneath evening star's surface

A Planet once thought 'still' may be moving

In a study published on May 14, 2025 in Science Advances, researchers reveal that Venus may still be geologically active. Analysing decades-old data from NASA’s Magellan mission, scientists found evidence suggesting ongoing deformation of the planet’s surface, driven from below by mantle forces. This challenges the long-standing view that Venus is tectonically dormant.

Magellan’s radar legacy lives on

NASA’s Magellan orbiter, launched in 1989, used radar to map Venus’ surface through its dense atmosphere. Though the mission ended in the 1990s, its data remain the most detailed records of the planet’s gravity and topography. It is from this archive that new signs of movement under Venus’ crust have emerged.

Coronae – Clues from the surface

Researchers focused on structures called coronae—vast circular features, often hundreds of miles across, formed by rising plumes of hot mantle material. These structures are unique to Venus. Of the 75 coronae studied, 52 showed gravity signals suggesting recent or ongoing mantle upwelling.

Tectonics without plates

Unlike Earth, Venus lacks plate tectonics. Yet, scientists now believe the planet is shaped by alternative processes such as subduction-like sinking, lithospheric dripping, and volcanic resurfacing. These processes are believed to be responsible for the coronae’s formation and continued evolution.

Looking back to understand earth

The findings may also hold lessons for Earth’s deep past. Before modern plate tectonics, Earth may have experienced similar vertical tectonic processes.

VERITAS – A Mission to Confirm

NASA plans to investigate further with the VERITAS mission, launching no earlier than 2031. It will use updated radar and infrared tools to create 3D maps and high-resolution gravity data of Venus’ surface and interior.

Venus reconsidered

This study not only reframes our understanding of Venusian geology but positions Venus as a dynamic world—possibly still evolving beneath its dense, clouded skies.