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New examinations of data collected from Venus suggest the planet is more volcanically active than previously thought.
在金星收集的新数据表明，该行星的火山活动比以前认为的更加活跃。
The finding is based on radar images captured by Magellan, an orbiting spacecraft that the American space agency NASA operated.
这一发现是根据麦哲伦号拍摄的雷达图像得出的。麦哲伦号是美国国家航空航天局（NASA）运营的一个轨道飞行器。
NASA officials have described Magellan as one of the most successful deep space missions in the agency’s history.
美国国家航空航天局的官员们将麦哲伦号描述为该机构历史上最成功的深空任务之一。
The spacecraft became the first to map nearly the whole surface of Venus during a five-year mission beginning in 1989.
这艘航天器在1989年开始的为期五年的任务中，成为第一艘绘制几乎整个金星表面地图的航天器。
The orbiter made other discoveries about the planet as well.
该轨道飞行器还在这颗行星上有了其他发现。
Venus is similar in structure and size to Earth and is also our closest planetary neighbor.
金星在结构和大小上与地球相似，也是我们最近的行星邻居。
Italian researchers studied radar images captured by Magellan from 1990 to 1992.
意大利研究人员研究了麦哲伦号在1990年至1992年期间捕获的雷达图像。
The effort resulted in the discovery of what the team believes to be large lava flows in two new areas.
经过努力，研究小组在两个新区域发现了他们认为是大型熔岩流的东西。
The research team said the latest finding – combined with evidence from past studies – means the volcanic activity on Venus is likely comparable to Earth’s.
研究小组表示，最新发现——结合过去研究的证据——意味着金星上的火山活动可能与地球上的相当。
The team recently published its results in a study appearing in Nature Astronomy.
该团队最近在《自然天文学》上发表了一项研究成果。
Davide Sulcanese of Italy’s d'Annunzio University was the lead writer of the study.
意大利安农齐亚诺大学的戴维德·苏尔坎内斯是这项研究的主要作者。
He told Reuters news agency, "These findings significantly change our understanding of the degree to which Venus is volcanically active."
他告诉路透社：“这些发现极大地改变了我们对金星火山活动程度的理解。”
One of the two newly identified areas is near a volcano on Venus called Sif Mons.
两个新确定的地区之一靠近金星上一座名为西弗山的火山。
The volcano – which sits near an area called Eistla Regio – is estimated to be about 300 kilometers wide.
这座火山——位于一个叫做艾斯提拉地区的附近——估计大约有300公里宽。
Radar images from the area suggest a lava flow created a rock structure extending for 30 square kilometers.
雷达图像显示，该地区的熔岩流形成了一个延伸30平方公里的岩石结构。
The other big lava flow was discovered in a large volcanic plain in an area known as Niobe Planitia.
另一个大型熔岩流是在一个被称为NiobePlanitia的地区的大型火山平原中发现的。
The researchers said the rock structure created by this lava flow is about 45 square kilometers.
研究人员表示，这次熔岩流形成的岩石结构面积约为45平方公里。
Scientists have estimated that both lava rock formations have an average depth between three and 20 meters.
科学家估计，这两种熔岩岩层的平均深度在3到20米之间。
The team believes the lava flows were related to volcanic activities that were taking place during Magellan’s mapping mission.
该团队认为，熔岩流与麦哲伦测绘任务期间发生的火山活动有关。
Another co-writer of the study was planetary scientist Giuseppe Mitri of d'Annunzio University.
该研究的另一位合著者是安农齐亚塔大学的行星科学家朱塞佩·米特里。
He told Reuters both volcanoes are thought to be “shield volcanoes.”
他告诉路透社，两座火山都被认为是“盾状火山”。
This means lava from the volcanoes flows easily because it faces less resistance.
这意味着火山熔岩流动得很容易，因为它面临的阻力较小。
Scientists say it is important to study active volcanoes to understand more about what happens below the planet’s surface.
科学家们表示，研究活火山对于更多地了解地球表面之下发生的事情非常重要。
Volcanic activity can, they say, greatly affect how a planet grows and develops over time.
他们称，火山活动会极大地影响一颗行星随着时间的推移而成长和发展的方式。
The new study builds on past evidence of ongoing volcanic activity on Venus.
这项新研究以过去金星上持续火山活动的证据为基础。
One 2023 study found a volcanic vent in another area called Atla Regio.
2023年的一项研究在另一个名为阿特拉地区的区域发现了一个火山喷口。
The area is near the planet’s equator and contains two of the planet’s largest volcanoes.
该地区靠近行星的赤道，包含了行星上两座最大的火山。
The researchers said radar images showed that a vent on the surface had expanded and changed shape over an eight-month period in 1991.
研究人员表示，雷达图像显示，1991年的八个月期间，表面的一个通风口扩大并改变了形状。
The discovered vent is on Maat Mons, the planet’s highest volcano.
发现的通风口位于马特火山，这是该行星上最高的火山。
But Sulcanese said the latest study "is the first to provide direct proof of lava flows formed during the Magellan mission period.”
但是苏尔卡内斯表示，这项最新研究“首次提供了麦哲伦任务期间形成的熔岩流的直接证据。”
He noted that the additional evidence was identified because the radar images clearly observed changes “in surface morphology and radar data.”
他指出，之所以能够确定这些额外的证据，是因为雷达图像清楚地观察到了“表面形态和雷达数据的变化”。
Scott Hensley is a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
斯科特·亨斯利是美国国家航空航天局位于加利福尼亚州的喷气推进实验室的一名研究科学家。
He said in a statement, “This exciting work provides another example of volcanic change on Venus from new lava flows that augments the vent change…reported last year.”
他在一份声明中说："这项令人兴奋的工作提供了金星上新熔岩流火山变化的另一个例子，增强了去年报告的喷口变化......"。
Hensley added, “This result, in tandem with the earlier discovery of present-day geologic activity, increases the excitement in the planetary science community for future missions to Venus. ”
亨斯利补充说："这一结果与早先发现的当今地质活动相结合，使行星科学界对未来的金星任务更加期待。"
I’m Bryan Lynn
我是布莱恩-林恩
