Unveiling Venus: Are Giant Impact Craters Hiding in Plain Sight?

Have we been staring at Venus's enigmatic surface without seeing the real story? Recent research by a team of planetary scientists suggests that the planet's supposed scarcity of large impact craters may not tell the whole truth. Instead, they could be cleverly disguised as other geological formations known as "tesserae," transforming our understanding of Venus's violent past.

What are Tesserae?

Tesserae are vast expanses of deformed land, sometimes stretching over what could be considered continental sizes, covered with intricate wrinkle ridges that give them an appearance reminiscent of corrugated metal. These fascinating formations arise when lava surges to the surface, cooling and hardening while the denser residues remain trapped in the mantle beneath, creating a plateau made of a material known as residuum. Under certain circumstances, this dense residuum can be eroded away, causing the tessera to descend back towards the surface.

The Research Team