By Will DunhamWASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – A fresh examination of radar data for Venus obtained by NASA’s Magellan spacecraft in the 1990s indicates the presence of a large underground cavity created by a lava flow, the first subsurface feature ever detected on Earth’s planetary neighbor.Researchers said the radar data was consistent with a geological feature called a lava tube that is found in certain volcanic locations on Earth. Lava tubes also exist on the moon and are thought to be present on Mars.AdvertisementAdvertisementVenus has carefully guarded its secrets, with its surface shrouded by thick noxious clouds. But radar can peer through these clouds.Scientists had theorized the presence of lava tubes on Venus, considering its history of volcanism.”Moving from theory to direct observation marks a major step forward, opening the door to new lines of research and providing crucial information for future missions aimed at exploring the planet,” said Lorenzo Bruzzone, a radar and planetary scientist at the University of Trento in Italy, senior author of the study published on Monday in the journal Nature Communications.The researchers analyzed data acquired by Magellan’s Synthetic Aperture Radar remote-sensing instrument from 1990 and 1992 at locations bearing signs of localized surface collapses suggestive of lava tubes beneath. They used a recently developed data-analysis method aimed at identifying underground cavities like …
