SEMINARIO:
Speaker: Maxence Lefevre
Affiliation: CNRS, LATMOS
Date: 23th October 2025
Time: 14:30
Hosted by: INGV Sezione di Pisa

Abstract

Abstract: Earth and Venus are similar in size and mass, but there are major differences between their atmospheres. On Venus, no climate variability has been clearly demonstrated. On the surface of Venus, the temperature can reach 730 K with a pressure of approximately 90 bars, with an atmospheric composition of 96.5% CO₂, and with a 25 km thick global cloud layer above. Venus has been visited by more than a dozen probes and orbiters, and the big questions about its evolution remain: Why did Earth and Venus evolve so differently? On Earth, volcanoes plays a big role in climate evolution. However, the nature of volcanic activity on Venus is still debated within the Venusian community. Past missions observed geomorphological variations and several hot spots at the surface, suggesting internal activity and possible volcanic plumes. Considerable uncertainty still remains regarding its nature. A decadal oscillatory variability of SO2 at the top of the clouds has been measured, possibly linked to volcanic activity. The next decade will be exciting for Venus exploration, with three missions selected, including EnVision, which have observation of internal activity as main objective.

Here are some information about  Maxence Lefevre  ackground: 

• PhD at LMD: studying the turbulence in the Venus cloud layer.
• Postdoc at the University of Oxford: studying the clouds on terrestrial exoplanets.
• Currently Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at LATMOS: studying Venus climate. 
• In December, start of my CNRS permanent position at LATMOS.
• Co-I of VenSpec and interdisciplinary scientist of EnVision.