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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The Planetary Science Journal

New Insights into Venus’s Volatile Cycles Revealed by the Formation of Magnesite and Fluoro–Micas

  • Sara Taeko Port1
  • Maitrayee Bose2
  • Jean-Philippe Harvey3
  • Dorothy Lukco4
  • Tibor Kremic5
  • Gary Hunter5
5 affiliations
  1. 1University of Texas San Antonio
  2. 2Arizona State University
  3. 3Polytechnique Montréal
  4. 4HX5
  5. 5NASA Glenn Research Center
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Venus’ surface chemistry and mineralogy remain poorly constrained. Understanding surface–atmosphere interactions under a simulated Venus environment can be used to predict Venus’s surface composition and its past and current volatile cycles. This includes identifying minerals that could provide evidence for past or subsurface water. We exposed six rock-forming minerals in the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER) to simulated Venusian conditions. Magnesite formed from brucite by dehydration and carbonization. Phlogopite and muscovite reacted with HF to form fluorophlogopite and fluoromuscovite, respectively, which demonstrates in situ OH-F substitution under simulated Venusian conditions. Since fluorine substitution can increase the thermal stability of micas, this reaction may help preserve hydrous minerals that formed during an earlier, water-rich period of Venus’ history. Assuming Earth-like volcanic outgassing rates and no removal mechanisms since Venus’ last major resurfacing (∼500 Mya), SO ₂ and HF abundances could increase by several percent. Our experimental results and thermodynamic analyses reaffirm continuous emplacement of fresh volcanic material and sustained outgassing of volcanic gas to maintain the current atmospheric abundances. Identifying magnesite and fluoro-micas on the surface of Venus could provide indicators about current volatile cycles and Venus’ past geological and atmospheric evolution.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{port2026insights,
  title = {{New Insights into Venus’s Volatile Cycles Revealed by the Formation of Magnesite and Fluoro–Micas}},
  author = {Sara Taeko Port and Maitrayee Bose and Jean-Philippe Harvey and Dorothy Lukco and Tibor Kremic and Gary Hunter},
  journal = {The Planetary Science Journal},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3847/psj/aea909},
  url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/aea909},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - New Insights into Venus’s Volatile Cycles Revealed by the Formation of Magnesite and Fluoro–Micas
AU  - Sara Taeko Port
AU  - Maitrayee Bose
AU  - Jean-Philippe Harvey
AU  - Dorothy Lukco
AU  - Tibor Kremic
AU  - Gary Hunter
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/30
JO  - The Planetary Science Journal
DO  - 10.3847/psj/aea909
UR  - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/aea909
AB  - Venus’ surface chemistry and mineralogy remain poorly constrained. Understanding surface–atmosphere interactions under a simulated Venus environment can be used to predict Venus’s surface composition and its past and current volatile cycles. This includes identifying minerals that could provide evidence for past or subsurface water. We exposed six rock-forming minerals in the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER) to simulated Venusian conditions. Magnesite formed from brucite by dehydration and carbonization. Phlogopite and muscovite reacted with HF to form fluorophlogopite and fluoromuscovite, respectively, which demonstrates in situ OH-F substitution under simulated Venusian conditions. Since fluorine substitution can increase the thermal stability of micas, this reaction may help preserve hydrous minerals that formed during an earlier, water-rich period of Venus’ history. Assuming Earth-like volcanic outgassing rates and no removal mechanisms since Venus’ last major resurfacing (∼500 Mya), SO ₂ and HF abundances could increase by several percent. Our experimental results and thermodynamic analyses reaffirm continuous emplacement of fresh volcanic material and sustained outgassing of volcanic gas to maintain the current atmospheric abundances. Identifying magnesite and fluoro-micas on the surface of Venus could provide indicators about current volatile cycles and Venus’ past geological and atmospheric evolution.
SN  - 2632-3338
ER  -