Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
A dry Venusian interior constrained by atmospheric chemistry |
| Authors: |
Constantinou, Tereza, Shorttle, Oliver, Rimmer, Paul B. |
| Source: |
Nature Astronomy (2024) |
| Publication Year: |
2024 |
| Collection: |
Astrophysics |
| Subject Terms: |
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| More Details: |
Venus's climatic history provides powerful constraint on the location of the inner-edge of the liquid-water habitable zone. However, two very different histories of water on Venus have been proposed: one where Venus had a temperate climate for billions of years, with surface liquid water, and the other where a hot early Venus was never able to condense surface liquid water. Here we offer a novel constraint on Venus's climate history by inferring the water content of its interior. By calculating the present rate of atmospheric destruction of H$_2$O, CO$_2$ and OCS, which must be restored by volcanism to maintain atmospheric stability, we show Venus's interior is dry. Venusian volcanic gases have at most a 6% water mole fraction, substantially drier than terrestrial magmas degassed at similar conditions. The dry interior is consistent with Venus ending its magma ocean epoch desiccated and thereafter having had a long-lived dry surface. Volcanic resupply to Venus's atmosphere therefore indicates that the planet has never been `liquid-water' habitable.
Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. For supplementary info see Related DOI |
| Document Type: |
Working Paper |
| DOI: |
10.1038/s41550-024-02414-5 |
| Access URL: |
http://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01879 |
| Accession Number: |
edsarx.2412.01879 |
| Database: |
arXiv |
