Earth, Moon, and Planets, 81, 187-192
 

Progressive build up of CO2 in the atmosphere of Venus through multiple volcanic resurfacing events

Iván López
Departamento de Petrología y Geoquímica (Grupo de Geología Planetaria), Facultad de C.C. Geológicas, Universidad Complutense
28040 Madrid, Spain

Roberto Oyarzun
Departamento de Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de C.C. Geológicas, Universidad Complutense
28040 Madrid, Spain

Alvaro Márquez
Centro de Astrobiología, INTA, Ctra. de Ajalvir, km 4
28850 Torrejón, Madrid, Spain

Francisco J. Doblas-Reyes
Centro de Astrobiología, INTA, Ctra. de Ajalvir, km 4
28850 Torrejón, Madrid, Spain

Alejandro Laurrieta
Departamento de Petrología y Geoquímica (Grupo de Geología Planetaria), Facultad de C.C. Geológicas, Universidad Complutense
28040 Madrid, Spain

In absence of other mechanisms, the main input of CO2 into the Venusian atmosphere is via volcanic outgassing. Since Venus can be regarded as a planet-wide large igneous province, we can expect large quantities of CO2 being transfered into its atmosphere via volcanic outgassing. We have quantified the maximum possible amount of CO2 that can be outgassed via a single massive episode of resurfacing of the planet. This figure (5.6x1019 kg of CO2) is about 8 times smaller than the total CO2 present in the Venusian atmosphere (4.55x1020 kg CO2). The lack of planet-wide, efficient mechanisms for the recycling of CO2 on Venus indicates that CO2 has progressively accumulated in the atmosphere. Based on these considerations we suggest that the equivalent to eight global resurfacing episodes would be required to account for the present values of CO2 atmosphere.


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