The curious case of the rock at Venera 8

The surface rock composition measured by gamma (γ)-ray spectrometry at the Venera 8 landing site has anomalously high Th (6.5 ± 2.2 ppm) and U (2.2 ± 0.7 ppm) concentrations with respect to the material analyzed at other landing sites (Vega 1, Vega 2, Venera 9, Venera 10). A calculated bulk rock composition of Venera 8, constrained by the measured Th, U and K₂O (4.0 ± 1.2 wt%) contents, is similar to silicic to intermediate rocks (diorite/granodiorite) that are typical of terrestrial convergent margins (magnesian, calc-alkalic). In this study, major and trace elemental modeling is applied in order to determine if the calculated whole rock composition of Venera 8 can be derived from a parental magma composition similar to Venusian basalt. The modeling results indicate that polybaric fractional crystallization of a hydrous (H₂O = 0.4 wt%) and relatively oxidizing (ΔFMQ + 0.7) parental composition similar to Venera 14 basalt can yield residual silicic liquids that match the calculated Venera 8 whole rock composition. The measured Th and U concentrations can also be reproduced within the data uncertainty. Although Venus lacks modern Earth-style plate tectonics, magnesian, calc-alkalic compositions are common within Archean greenstone belts and some rift settings (Haida Gwaii). Consequently, it is possible that the Venera 8 probe encountered a fragment of crust that resembles a terrestrial greenstone belt.