Now, researchers say the planet’s vast rifts may offer another sign that heat and motion continue to transform its surface. Simulating Venus’s Enormous Rift ValleysMany scientists had placed the formation of Venus’s major rifts more than 100 million years in the past. Earlier models were mostly two-dimensional and treated the planet’s crust and mantle more simply. “The results help us to better assess the tectonic activity on Venus,” Gerya said. Future Missions Target Venus’s Active SurfaceThe newly identified rift shapes give future spacecraft clear targets where ongoing deformation may be easiest to detect.