Constraints on the Production of Phosphine by Venusian Volcanoes

Abstract

The initial reports of the presence of phosphine in the cloud decks of Venus have led to the suggestion that volcanism is the source of phosphine, through volcanic phosphides ejected into the clouds. Here, we examine the idea that mantle plume volcanism, bringing material from the deep mantle to the surface, could generate observed amounts of phosphine through the interaction of explosively erupted phosphide with sulfuric acid clouds. The direct eruption of deep mantle phosphide is unphysical, but a shallower material could contain traces of phosphide, and could be erupted to the surface. The explosive eruption that efficiently transports material to the clouds would require ocean:magma interactions or the subduction of a hydrated oceanic crust, neither of which occur on modern Venus. The transport of the erupted material to altitudes coinciding with the observations of phosphine is consequently very inefficient. Using the model proposed by Truong and Lunine as a base case, we estimate that an eruption volume of at least 21,600 km³/year would be required to explain the presence of 1 ppb phosphine in the clouds. This is greater than any historical terrestrial eruption rate, and would have several detectable consequences for remote and in situ observations to confirm. More realistic lithospheric mineralogy, volcano mechanics or atmospheric photochemistry require even more volcanism.