Project description
New insight into Venus’ volatile cycle and atmospheric evolution
Venus, often called Earth’s twin owing to its similar density, size and composition, has evolved into a hostile planet. Unlike Earth’s habitable conditions, it has a thick, CO2-rich atmosphere and extreme surface pressures, over 90 times greater. Further understanding how Venus developed its runaway greenhouse effect is crucial given the alarming parallels to Earth’s climate challenges. The ERC-funded VenusVolAtmos project aims to uncover how volcanic activity and surface-atmosphere interactions shaped Venus’ atmosphere. Researchers will simulate Venusian conditions in high pressures and temperatures, analyse gas reactions in real time and integrate results into numerical models. VenusVolAtmos will help reassess Venus’ interior and atmospheric evolution, laying a solid framework for upcoming exploration missions.
Objective
Venus is similar to Earth in terms of density, size and composition. Yet both bodies evolved so dramatically different that Venus now has an uninhabitable, run-away greenhouse atmosphere in contrast to Earth ́s favourable habitable conditions. Despite alarming parallels with CO2-driven global warming on Earth, the origin and evolution of Venus ́ run-away greenhouse atmosphere remains poorly understood. Problematically, current models fail to incorporate the important effects of volcanic degassing and atmosphere-surface interaction throughout Venus ́ history. Due to Venus’ CO2-rich atmosphere, surface pressures are 90 times greater than on Earth. Volcanoes on Venus will degas under very different conditions, yielding different volcanic gas compositions and gas fluxes to the atmosphere. Constraints on volatility and the contribution of magmatic volatiles to the composition of Venus ́ atmosphere are pivotal for understanding the extent and timing of volcanic activity on Venus, especially in light of upcoming Venus exploration missions. Interaction between Venus’ atmosphere, volcanic gasses and surface likely plays a key role in determining volatile fluxes but is poorly understood at conditions relevant for Venus’ surface. The critical lack of such challenging experiments precludes a detailed assessment of the Venusian volatile cycle and atmospheric evolution.
I will quantify the past and current interior-to-atmosphere volatile element flux on Venus. In a highly multi-disciplinary approach I will perform 1) pioneering, high P-T experiments mimicking magma degassing on Venus and atmosphere-gas-rock interactions, 2) using state-of-the-art (in situ) analyses of gas speciation and reaction rates and 3) integrate these results in numerical models to obtain quantitative volatile fluxes for Venus. This work allows for rigorous re-assessment of Venus’ interior and atmospheric evolution and will provide a solid framework for future exploration of Venus.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology volcanology
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-STG
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2628 CN Delft
Netherlands
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