The Venus Life Equation

Noam Izenberg,Grzegorz P Słowik,Mark A Bullock,Martha S Gilmore,David Grinspoon,Penelope J Boston,Diana M Gentry,David J Smith

doi:10.3847/25c2cfeb.ee5bd3d1

Abstract

Ancient Venus and Earth may have been similar in crucial ways for the development of life, such as liquid water oceans, land-ocean interfaces, favorable chemical ingredients and energy pathways. If life ever developed on, or was transported to, early Venus from elsewhere, it might have thrived, expanded and then survived the changes that have led to an inhospitable surface on Venus today. The Venus cloud layer may provide a refugium for extant life that persisted from an earlier more habitable surface environment. We introduce the Venus Life Equation - a theory and evidence-based approach to calculate the probability of extant life on Venus, L, using three primary factors of life: Origination, Robustness, and Continuity, or L = O x R x C. We evaluate each of these factors using our current understanding of Earth and Venus environmental conditions from the Archaean to the present. We find that the probability of origination of life on Venus would be similar to that of the Earth and argue that the other factors should be nonzero, comparable to other promising astrobiological targets in the solar system. The Venus Life Equation also identifies poorly understood aspects of Venus that can be addressed by direct observations with future exploration missions.

Highlights

One of the biggest motivations for exploring the solar system beyond Earth is examining whether extant life currently exists, or now-extinct life once existed, on worlds beyond ours
This paper approaches the question of extant life on Venus in a similar manner as Drake Equation [7]
We find the probability for extant life on Venus is non-zero

Summary

The Venus Life Equation

A White Paper for the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032. Diana M. Gentry,NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA David J. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA Martha S. Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA David Grinspoon, Planetary Science Institute, Washington, DC, USA Mark A. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA Grzegorz P. Co-signers with their respective institutions: Jennifer Whitten (Tulane University). Key Points The chance of extant life in the clouds of Venus is estimable from what we know about. Life on Earth and the history of Venus. We define and consider Origination, Robustness, and Continuity factors, and conclude that the chance life exists on Venus today is non-zero. Better understanding of Venus’ history and current conditions through new missions including in-situ investigations would constrain the Venus Life Equation, even in absence of direct detection of life Life on Earth and the history of Venus. We define and consider Origination, Robustness, and Continuity factors, and conclude that the chance life exists on Venus today is non-zero. Better understanding of Venus’ history and current conditions through new missions including in-situ investigations would constrain the Venus Life Equation, even in absence of direct detection of life

Introduction

Conclusion