Towards understanding the geological evolution of Venus

Julia Maia, Archive Support Scientist, Telespazio UK for ESA (European Space Agency)

LIVE SEMINAR: Tuesday 16th June 2026 16:00 CEST

EAI Zoom

Despite sharing a similar size and bulk composition with Earth, Venus followed a radically different evolutionary path. In this talk, I present an overview of Venus' geological evolution based on current observations and geodynamic models. Venus exhibits widespread volcanism and a young surface, yet lacks plate tectonics, pointing to a tectonic regime fundamentally different from any other body in the Solar System. I will highlight the main geodynamic scenarios proposed to explain these features, discuss the potential for continental crust analogues on Venus, and examine implications for past habitability. Finally, I outline how upcoming missions will provide the data needed to unravel Venus’ still debated geological evolution.