On both Earth and Venus some sulfur dioxide is removed from the atmosphere to be locked up in various rocks and minerals. On Earth this SO₂ is recycled deep beneath the surface to be outgassed by volcanoes and again become part of the atmosphere. On Venus this SO₂ is not recycled. Why this difference? A)There are no active volcanoes on Venus. B)Venus does not experience the movement of tectonic plates. C)On Venus, the sulfur dioxide minerals are dissolved by acids in the atmosphere. D)Because of the higher temperature on Venus, the SO₂ minerals formed there are different from those on Earth; they are essentially permanent and nonrecyclable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Venus does not experience the movement of tectonic plates, which is a necessary process for the recycling of sulfur dioxide deep beneath the surface and the outgassing of it through volcanoes. Therefore, the sulfur dioxide minerals on Venus are not recycled and remain locked up in rocks and minerals.

On Both Earth and Venus Some Sulfur Dioxide Is Removed