Forget Syrup: Strange ‘Pancakes’ on Venus Could Unveil the Planet’s Shocking Geological Secrets

Scientists are making strides in understanding Venus’ famous “pancake domes.” These unique, steep-sided volcanoes rise from the planet’s surface and have puzzled researchers for years. A new study suggests these dome-shaped structures are partially influenced by the flexibility of Venus’ upper crust.

Venus is home to over 1,600 large volcanic features, including the intriguing pancake domes. These domes are wide like disks, spanning miles, but rise only about half a mile high—similar to a flattened version of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa.

How these domes form remains somewhat of a mystery. One theory suggests they arise from a form of lava that’s thick and sticky, flowing slowly under its own weight. Eventually, this lava solidifies to create the domes.

However, the formation process likely involves more than just the lava’s characteristics. According to Madison Borrelli, a researcher from Georgia Tech, the “bendiness” of the crust is a significant factor. The surface of Venus can behave like the skin of an orange, creating dimples when pressed by heavy loads.

Previous studies missed this crucial aspect. When lava accumulates, it can create distinct bulges around the domes, indicating the crust has buckled. A 2021 study found flexural signatures around some pancake domes, supporting this idea.

Borrelli and her team examined the only dome with high-resolution data, the Narina Tholus. Using data from NASA’s Magellan mission, they built a virtual model of this dome and simulated various kinds of lava on both flexible and rigid crusts. They found that domes formed on a bendy crust resembled the virtual model much more closely than those on a rigid surface.

Interestingly, the shape and size of the domes were also influenced by the lava’s density. Only lava denser than approximately 0.0867 lbs per cubic inch produced the desired dome shapes and crustal bulges. This lava is incredibly viscous—over a trillion times thicker than ketchup—taking hundreds of thousands of years to form the domes.

While the research focused only on Narina Tholus, Borrelli is optimistic about future missions like NASA’s VERITAS, which will provide more detailed data to validate their findings. This could also shed light on the types of lava present on Venus. Though most volcanoes appear to emit basaltic lava, other types like rhyolitic and andesitic lavas, similar to those from Mount St. Helens, haven’t been ruled out.

Borrelli highlights that discovering diverse lava types could provide insights into Venus’ tectonic history and even the possible past presence of water. Understanding these elements not only answers geological questions but also enriches our knowledge of planetary evolution.

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