Surface age of venus: use of the terrestrial cratering record

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Sol. Syst. Res. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:5275071

Schaber, G G; Shoemaker, E M; Kozak, R C

The average crater age of Venus' northern hemisphere may be less than 250 m.y. assuming equivalence between the recent terrestrial cratering rate and that on Venus for craters greater than or equal to 20 km in diameter. For craters larger than this threshold size, below which crater production is significantly affected by the Venusian atmosphere, there are fairly strong observational grounds for concluding that such an equivalence in cratering rates on Venus and Earth may exist. However, given the uncertainties in the role of both active and inactive comet nuclei in the cratering history of Earth, we conclude that the age of the observed surface in the northern hemisphere of Venus could be as great as the 450-m.y. mean age of the Earth's crust. The observed surface of Venus might be even older, but no evidence from the crater observations supports an age as great as 1 b.y. If the age of the observed Venusian surface were 1 b.y., it probably should bear the impact scars of a half dozen or more large comet nuclei that penetrated the atmosphere and formed craters well over 100 km in diameter. Venera 15/16 mapped only about 25% of Venus; the remaining 75% may tell us a completely different story.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5275071
• Journal Information: Sol. Syst. Res. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Vol. 21:2; Other Information: Translated from Astron. Vestn.; 21: No. 2, 144-151(Apr-Jun 1987)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CRATERS
AGE ESTIMATION
VENUS PLANET
PLANETARY EVOLUTION
COMETS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EARTH PLANET
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC SURVEYS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
ATMOSPHERES
CAVITIES
PLANETS
SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION
SURVEYS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena