Spatial and Genetic Relationships of Volcanic Coronae and Large Volcanoes of Venus

Abstract — We analyzed regions with concentrations of coronae that are sources of young lava fields and large volcanoes on Venus and established the following: (1) such coronae and volcanoes represent genetically unrelated structures that are spatially separated in many regions of the planet, while in some regions they occur together or only coronae or only volcanoes are present; (2) coronae that are sources of lava fields are associated with regional zones of extension—belts of grooves and/or rift zones—whereas volcanoes show a weaker association with these zones; (3) dome-shaped coronae are concentrated on the surface of Venus in zones of rift fracturing, primarily in the Ulfrun and Parga regions. This association of volcanic coronae with rifts is likely explained by the reactivation of coronae during the late Atlian period of the planet’s geological history; (4) large volcanoes are more widely distributed across the surface of Venus than dome-shaped coronae. Approximately half of the volcanoes are concentrated in the Ulfrun, Parga, and Eistla regions. Their localization is not linked to regional zones of extension; (5) the identified regions of concentration of large volcanoes and dome-shaped coronae, which are sources of lava fields, mark the areas of young volcanic activity on Venus (Ulfrun, Parga, and Eistla).