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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Kate Ravilious

New map catalogues more than 85,000 volcanoes on Venus

Computer-generated view of surface of Venus dominated by the volcano Sapas Mons
Computer-generated view of the surface of Venus, dominated by the volcano Sapas Mons. Lava flows extend for hundreds of kilometres in the foreground. Photograph: World History Archive/Alamy

Our planet has more than 1,500 volcanoes – but if you think that’s a lot then take a look at Venus. A new map, created from radar imagery collected during Nasa’s Magellan mission in the 1990s, catalogues more than 85,000 volcanoes on Venus, 99% of which are less than 5km in diameter.

“Our new database will enable scientists to think about where else to search for evidence of recent geological activity [on Venus],” says Paul Byrne from Washington University in St Louis.

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