News Planetary Science

Satellites could detect quakes on Venus

By Sid Perkins

- More than 2 years ago

Strong seismic activity on Venus could cause brief but detectable temperature increases high in that planet’s atmosphere, new analyses suggest.

VENUSIAN VIEW. A spacecraft orbiting Venus might be able to detect atmospheric heating caused by massive temblors on the planet’s surface. European Space Agency

Although Venus is almost the same size as Earth, its atmosphere is about 53 times as dense at the planet’s surface as Earth’s is at sea level.