Metamorphism of Venus as driver of crustal thickness and recycling

The composition and thickness of the venusian crust and their dependence on thermal gradients and geodynamic setting are not well constrained. Here, we use metamorphic phase transitions and the onset of melting to determine the maximum crustal thickness of basaltic plains in different tectonic settings. Crustal thickness is limited to ~40 km in a stagnant lid regime with a low thermal gradient of 5 °C/km due to density overturn and delamination. In contrast, the maximum crustal thickness in a mobile lid regime with a high thermal gradient of 25 °C/km is restricted to ~20 km due to the onset of crustal melting. The thickest the crust can be is ~65 km for a basaltic crust with a thermal gradient of 10 °C/km. Our models show that a venusian basaltic crust cannot be thicker than 20–65 km without either causing delamination and crustal recycling or melting and producing volcanic eruptions.