Editing Plate tectonics (section)

=== Venus ===
{{See also|Geology of Venus}}
Venus shows no evidence of active plate tectonics. There is debatable evidence of active tectonics in the planet's distant past; however, events taking place since then (such as the plausible and generally accepted hypothesis that the Venusian [[lithosphere]] has thickened greatly over the course of several hundred million years) has made constraining the course of its geologic record difficult. However, the numerous well-preserved [[impact crater]]s have been used as a [[dating methods|dating method]] to approximately date the Venusian surface (since there are thus far no known samples of Venusian rock to be dated by more reliable methods). Dates derived are dominantly in the range {{Ma|500|750}}, although ages of up to {{Ma|1200}} have been calculated. This research has led to the fairly well accepted hypothesis that Venus has undergone an essentially complete volcanic resurfacing at least once in its distant past, with the last event taking place approximately within the range of estimated surface ages. While the mechanism of such an impressive thermal event remains a debated issue in Venusian geosciences, some scientists are advocates of processes involving plate motion to some extent.

One explanation for Venus's lack of plate tectonics is that on Venus temperatures are too high for significant water to be present.{{sfn|Kasting|1988}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bortman |first=Henry |date=2004-08-26 |title=Was Venus alive? 'The Signs are Probably There' |url=http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/venus_life_040826.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224055407/http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/venus_life_040826.html |archive-date=2010-12-24 |access-date=2008-01-08 |website=Space.com}}</ref> Earth's crust is soaked with water, and water plays an important role in the development of [[shear zone]]s. Plate tectonics requires weak surfaces in the crust along which crustal slices can move, and it may well be that such weakening never took place on Venus because of the absence of water. However, some researchers<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Weller, M.B.|author2= Evans, A.J.|author3= Ibarra, D.E.|title= Venus's atmospheric nitrogen explained by ancient plate tectonics|journal= Nat Astron|volume= 7|pages=1436–1444|year=2023|issue= 12|doi= 10.1038/s41550-023-02102-w|bibcode= 2023NatAs...7.1436W|url= https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02102-w}}</ref> remain convinced that plate tectonics is or was once active on this planet.