Constraints on the production of phosphine by Venusian volcanoes

TL;DR

This paper critically evaluates the volcanic origin hypothesis for Venusian phosphine, concluding that the required eruption rates are implausibly high and inconsistent with known Venus geology and atmospheric processes.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative assessment showing that volcanic activity alone cannot account for observed phosphine levels on Venus, challenging previous volcanic origin theories.

Findings

Eruption volume needed exceeds Earth's historical rates.

Transport of phosphide to cloud altitudes is highly inefficient.

More realistic models demand even greater volcanism.

Abstract

The initial reports of the presence of phosphine in the cloud decks of Venus has led to the suggestion that volcanism was the source of phosphine, through volcanic phosphides ejected into the clouds. Here we examine the idea that mantle plume volcanism, bringing material from the deep mantle to the surface, could generate observed amounts of phosphine through interaction of explosively erupted phosphide with sulfuric acid clouds. Direct eruption of deep mantle phosphide is unphysical, but shallower material could contain traces of phosphide, and could be erupted to the surface. Explosive eruption that efficiently transported material to the clouds would require ocean:magma interactions or subduction of hydrated oceanic crust, neither of which occur on modern Venus. The transport of erupted material to altitudes coinciding with the observations of phosphine is consequently very inefficient. Using the model proposed by Truong and Lunine as a base case, we estimate that an eruption volume of at least 21,600 km3/year would be required to explain the presence of 1 ppb phosphine in the clouds. This is greater than any historical terrestrial eruption rate, and would have several detectable consequences for remote and in situ observations to confirm. More realistic lithospheric mineralogy, volcano mechanics or atmospheric photochemistry require even more volcanism.