Squishy spots on Venus release heat

A new study has solved a mystery about the surface of Venus—which turns out to be kind of squishy. Venus and Earth are both rocky planets that are about the same size, and Venus is our closest neighbor in the solar system. The two planets seem similar, but they’re very different. For example, the temperature of Venus’s surface is a scorching 900° F. Another difference is the planet’s outer crust, called the lithosphere. Earth’s lithosphere is a patchwork of tectonic plates (gigantic slabs of rock that move slowly). This movement lets heat escape from the planet. On Venus, the lithosphere is thought to be one solid piece, and how it releases heat has been a mystery—until now. A team of scientists from NASA (the US space agency), led by Suzanne…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 158

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