Dr Filiberto and his team of researchers carefully recreated the conditions of Venus’ atmosphere in a laboratory to study how certain minerals change over time.
The study found one mineral, in particular, olivine, rapidly reacts to the planet’s atmosphere.
Olivine is a mineral readily found in basalt or volcanic rock and covers itself with magnetite and hematite when exposed to Venus’ atmosphere.
Based on data collected by ESA’s Venus Express, Dr Filiberto’s team determined the mineral changes observed on Venus would only take a few years to complete.
The discovery has led the scientists to speculate recent volcanic explosions went off on the planet.
source: express.co.uk