PUBLIC TALK: Venus, Earth's sister planet: Clues about Earth's early evolution

A public lecture by Vicki Hansen, McKnight Presidential Professor of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Minnesota, Duluth and 2015 UWA Gledden Visiting Fellow.

Earth's so-called Archean Era, which ended 2.5 billion years ago, marks a time during which the Earth was a completely different planet than it is today. We know little about these critical formative years - a time when life emerged, continents formed, and mineral resources were concentrated because precious little record is preserved of this time period due to younger global processes - plate tectonics and an extensive water-cycle. However, Venus, Earth's sister planet - similar in size, density, bulk composition, and distance from the Sun - all critical aspects that strongly influence planet evolution, never developed plate tectonics, or a global water-cycle. Today these siblings are completely different, but like sisters, they were likely similar during their early years. By way of a sibling relationship, Venus and Earth each provide clues to the others' history. Whereas Venus reveals a rich geologic record of her early years, a record of Earth's early years has been lost. Some 25 years after the NASA Magellan Mission returned spectacular radar images of Venus' surface we are able to 'read' Venus' rich geologic record, to construct a picture of her global evolution, providing incredible insight for global processes active on the early Earth.

Join us for a 3D tour of Venus, and glimpses of what planet Earth might have experienced billions of years ago.

Cost: FREE but RSVP requested via the website