First Real-Time Evidence of Volcanic Activity on Venus

For decades, Venus has stood as one of the greatest enigmas of our Solar System. Shrouded in a thick, toxic veil of sulfuric acid clouds, it has often been described as Earth’s “evil twin.” With surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead, crushing atmospheric pressure 90 times greater than Earth’s, and skies forever hidden behind stormy clouds, Venus feels more like a furnace than a planet. Yet despite its hellish reputation, one scientific question has lingered longer than most: is Venus still geologically alive?

Some researchers argued that the planet had long since cooled into geological silence, its fiery past locked away in ancient rock. Others believed that Venus might still be geologically active beneath its suffocating clouds, hiding volcanoes that breathe out bursts of molten fire. Now, thanks to NASA’s VERITAS mission—short for Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy—we finally have our answer.

Lava Flows in Real Time

In 2025, VERITAS delivered a groundbreaking discovery: fresh lava flows on Venus’s surface. These aren’t remnants of ancient volcanic cataclysms frozen in time. They are modern eruptions happening right now, proof that the planet is far from dormant.

Using powerful synthetic aperture radar capable of peering through the planet’s suffocating atmosphere, scientists detected subtle but unmistakable changes in the landscape near Artemis Corona and Maat Mons—the tallest volcano on Venus. Regions showed unusual heat signatures and surface textures consistent with recently cooled lava. In other words, Venus isn’t just a relic of the past. It’s a planet that is still reshaping itself in the present.

This finding has rewritten how we see Venus. Rather than a fossilized world, it is an active and dynamic neighbor, where fire still flows beneath the crushing atmosphere.

Why This Discovery Matters

1. A Closer Twin to Earth

Venus and Earth share striking similarities in size, density, and composition. But while Earth’s surface is constantly renewed by tectonic plates, earthquakes, and volcanoes, Venus appeared locked in geological stillness. Fresh lava flows show that the two planets may be more alike than we thought. Both worlds are sculpted by internal forces, though Venus operates under far harsher conditions.

2. Climate Evolution Lessons

Volcanism doesn’t just change landscapes—it transforms atmospheres. On Earth, volcanic eruptions have influenced everything from ancient ice ages to modern climate cycles by releasing carbon dioxide and sulfur into the skies. On Venus, runaway greenhouse heating may have been fueled, at least in part, by massive volcanic outgassing. By studying how active volcanoes operate there today, scientists may finally untangle the story of how Venus spiraled into a world of unbearable heat, while Earth stayed comparatively habitable.

3. Implications for Life Beyond Earth

Life on Venus’s surface is almost unthinkable. But volcanoes are powerful engines of chemistry. They release gases, reshape the terrain, and provide potential energy sources. If microbial life ever existed in Venus’s upper atmosphere—the only region where temperatures are cooler—then volcanic activity might play a role in sustaining the chemical ingredients needed for survival.

VERITAS: A Technological Breakthrough

The VERITAS spacecraft has been described as a kind of X-ray machine for Venus. Its instruments combined several methods to achieve what no mission had before:

• High-resolution radar mapping to chart surface features through dense clouds.
• Thermal measurements to detect areas of unusual heat.
• Spectroscopy to analyze surface composition and confirm whether dark patches were indeed volcanic rock.

Together, these tools didn’t just spot “strange regions.” They confirmed with confidence that Venus is experiencing active volcanic eruptions today.

What Comes Next

The discovery of fresh lava flows is just the beginning. Several upcoming missions will expand on VERITAS’s work:

• EnVision (ESA) will deliver new high-resolution radar and spectral data to map Venus’s geology with even greater detail.
• DAVINCI+ (NASA) will plunge directly into the Venusian atmosphere, sampling gases that could reveal clues about the role of volcanism in shaping its chemistry.

Each mission adds another layer to the puzzle of Venus’s evolution, helping scientists determine how often eruptions occur and how they influence the extreme climate.

Venus as a Mirror for Earth

Studying Venus is more than curiosity—it’s a cautionary tale. With its runaway greenhouse atmosphere, crushing heat, and volcanic scars, Venus may represent what happens when a planet loses the delicate balance that makes life possible. Without plate tectonics and oceans to regulate carbon, Venus may have tipped into a permanent climate catastrophe.

By uncovering active volcanoes there, we gain insight into how planetary interiors and atmospheres interact. In turn, this helps us understand how fragile Earth’s balance truly is—and how easily it might be disrupted.

Conclusion

The VERITAS mission has solved a decades-old mystery: Venus is volcanically active right now. Its surface is not frozen in time but alive with fiery forces that continue to shape it.

Each glowing lava flow is more than a geological curiosity—it’s a window into Earth’s twin, a reminder of what our planet could have become, and a guide for what may await other rocky worlds across the cosmos.

In studying Venus’s volcanic breath, humanity is not only rewriting the story of a neighbor but also reflecting on its own future.