On The Geological Time Evolution of Volcanism in the Inner Solar System

TL;DR

This paper investigates the geological evolution of volcanism across inner solar system planets, revealing patterns of activity and their potential influence on planetary development and life origins.

Contribution

It extends volcanic activity measurement scales and links planetary mass and internal heat to volcanic intensity and duration.

Findings

Volcanic activity shows phases of increase, decrease, and cessation over time.

Planetary mass correlates with internal heat and volcanic activity.

Volcanism may have influenced biological evolution on Earth and Mars.

Abstract

We have studied the geological time evolution of volcanism in Earth and other inner solar system planetary bodies (Mercury, Moon, Mars and Venus) in both geophysical and biophysical perspective. The record of Large Igneous Provinces in Earth and other planetary objects suggest the existence of increasing, decreasing and cessation phases of major volcanic activity over geological time scales. We have extended the existing scale of measuring intensity of volcanic eruptions based on Earth based observations to accommodate intense and extreme volcanic activity. The mass of a rocky planetary object is found to be related to the magnitude of the internal heat, occurrences of Large Igneous Provinces and the duration of major volcanic activity from relevant data available for the inner solar system. The internal heat magnitude may also decide the intensity of volcanism in these planetary objects. The time evolution of volcanism in Earth and Mars has probably influenced the origin of life and biological evolution in these planets.