An Experimental Study of Weathering Pathways on Venus Using the Glenn Extreme Environments Rig and Electron Microscopy

We conducted a high-fidelity, ten-day experiment to investigate weathering processes which might be active on the planet Venus. Mafic, felsic, and aqueously-altered samples were exposed to a nine-component simulated Venus atmosphere using NASA’s Glenn Extreme Environments Rig. The compositions and textures of the samples were studied with electron microscopy to determine whether they were impacted by these conditions. Aragonite was altered to fluorite in a contamination-driven process, halite was most likely consumed during a dissolution reaction involving water vapor, and primary igneous minerals were unaffected. These results will help inform future missions to Venus, and they also highlight the need to address potential sources of contaminants in facilities which aim to simulate the conditions which are present at the planet’s surface.