The “Analogs for VENus' GEologically Recent Surfaces” (AVENGERS) Initiative: Using Terrestrial Analogs to Study Recent Volcano-Tectonic Activity on Venus and Inform the Characterization of Terrestrial Exoplanets

Several missions to Venus have recently been selected for launch, opening a new era for the exploration of the planet. A key question these missions seek to address is whether Venus is geologically active today. Detecting active volcanism on Venus would contribute to a better understanding of volcanic and atmospheric processes on Earth. The Analogs for VENus' GEologically Recent Surfaces (AVENGERS) initiative provides a comparative framework for the identification and analysis of terrestrial analog sites relevant to recent and possibly ongoing volcanic activity on Venus. Although this review focuses on terrestrial analogs for Venus exploration, the AVENGERS initiative also includes investigations that use Venus and Earth as analogs to better understand the evolution of terrestrial exoplanets. In addition, the AVENGERS initiative facilitates international collaboration by connecting Venus mission teams with the broader planetary and exoplanetary science communities. This review describes the scientific context of AVENGERS, details the selection criteria for terrestrial analog sites, and summarizes a set of suitable locations. Methodological approaches in analog studies that support the interpretation of Venus observations are also discussed.