115-11 Piton de la Fournaise as a Terrestrial Analog to Chloris Mons, Venus

Session: Petrology, Volcanology, and Mantle Plumes across the Solar System (Posters)

Poster Booth No.: 309

Presenting Author:

Evan Cooper

Authors:

Cooper, Evan Gray Kennedy¹, Flynn, Ian T.W.², Peters, Sean I.³, Benson, Elliott Wing⁴, Murphy, Sara B.⁵, Sterling, Eleanor D.⁶

(1) Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA, (2) Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, (3) Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA, (4) Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA, (5) Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA, (6) Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, USA,

Abstract:

Numerous terrestrial analogs have been proposed for Venus volcanoes, including but not limited to Mt. Etna, Mauna Loa, and the recent volcanic activity in the Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland (D’Incecco et al., 2024). Identifying and investigating terrestrial analogs for Venus volcanic activity is necessary to prepare for the planned upcoming missions (e.g., VERITAS, EnVision, and Venera-D). We propose Piton de la Fournaise (on Réunion island), a frequently active oceanic shield volcano, as an analog to Chloris Mons, Venus. Chloris Mons is an especially relevant study site due to its association with surface emissivity anomalies, measured from the Venus Express Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) data. The elevated surface emissivity regions are theorized to indicate geologically young volcanic deposits. We conducted a multifaceted comparison of Piton de la Fournaise and Chloris Mons to demonstrate the suitability of the terrestrial analog. Using orbital remote sensing data (i.e., visible, topography, and radar), we mapped channelized lava flows, small volcanic edifices, and the summit depression of each volcano. We identified numerous similarities in morphology between the two volcanoes and volcanic features, despite vast differences in spatial scale. The radially symmetric topography and shallow slopes of Chloris Mons indicate it may have been constructed by low-viscosity effusive lava flows, such as those observed on Piton de la Fournaise. To provide further support for the comparison, we assessed the tectonic setting and mineralogy of each volcano. Piton de la Fournaise is the surface expression of a mantle plume and is composed primarily of basalt. Chloris Mons is theorized to result from a mantle plume and is inferred to be composed of basalt. Additionally, we explored the hotspot productivity of each volcano and determined that the Réunion Hotspot has a much larger magma eruption rate than the hotspot at Chloris Mons. We conclude that Piton de la Fournaise is a suitable analog site for Chloris Mons. Further study of Chloris Mons could present opportunities for insight into outstanding issues in Venusian volcanology, such as the presence of mildly explosive activity (i.e., the construction of scoria/spatter cones), the planet’s mode of resurfacing, and potentially active volcanism.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-8077

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