A Floatilla of Airborne Seismometers for Venus

Barometers floating on high-altitude balloons in the relatively clement cloud layer on Venus could detect and characterize acoustic waves generated by seismic activity, avoiding the need for high-temperature electronics required for surface seismology. Garcia et al. (2022, ) recently demonstrated the detection of low-frequency sound (infrasound) caused by earthquakes of magnitudes 7.3 and 7.5 from stratospheric balloons nearly 3,000 km away from the epicenter. They provided a preliminary demonstration of earthquake magnitude and location inversion, and the determination of S- and Rayleigh wave velocities using only their acoustic signature. Large earthquakes produce low-frequency seismic waves that penetrate the interiors of planets; their detection at continental-scale distances from a high-vantage point demonstrates the feasibility of balloon-based investigations of Venus' interior. We contextualize these results within the effort to perform seismology on Venus from balloons, discuss its limitations, and share perspectives on open research questions in this area.

Automated summary

Barometers floating on high-altitude balloons have been used to detect and characterize acoustic waves generated by seismic activity in the cloud layer of Venus. Garcia et al. (2022) recently demonstrated the successful detection of low-frequency sound caused by earthquakes from stratospheric balloons, providing preliminary findings on earthquake magnitude and location inversion. This study highlights the feasibility of balloon-based investigations of Venus' interior and discusses the limitations and open research questions in this area.