VEM/VERITAS Analogs in the PSL Labratory in Berlin and in the Field with the V-EMulator at Vulcano, Italy — Preliminary Results

Abstract

The Aeolian Islands in south of Italy are composed of seven Islands, of which Vulcano (Fig.1) is the third largest. Tectonically-controlled magmatic activity is the source of lava for these Islands and their alignment [1]. Vulcano rocks display a diverse compositional variation from basaltic to rhyolitic [2], which makes this site an attractive analog to Venus. The island shows, in addition, a strong fumarolic activity with very high temperatures. Investigation of this area carries out as part of the Vulcano summer school [3], which took place in June, 2022. Our main goal has been to characterize the spectra from the fresh and old volcanic rocks with different compositions, using the spectral range of the Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM) (see [4] for more info), of the future NASA mission to Venus, VERITAS [5]. One of the main objectives of the NASA VERITAS and as well as the ESA EnVision missions is to characterize the composition and origin of the major geologic terrains on Venus. They will be able to observe the surface of Venus through five atmospheric windows with six bands. These will enable the spectral characterization of the Venusian surface, as well as deduce the type of lava and likely alteration processes, to be determined in unprecedented detail.