The Trailing-Edge Impact Hypothesis for Venusian Geological Paralysis

The Trailing-Edge Impact Hypothesis for Venusian Geological Paralysis | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 9 June 2025 V1 Latest version Share on The Trailing-Edge Impact Hypothesis for Venusian Geological Paralysis Author : Dwight Fowler 0009-0008-5420-0768 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174949093.36781355/v1 234 views 227 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Venus exhibits a constellation of anomalous planetary characteristics: retrograde rotation, absence of plate tectonics, negligible magnetic field, and evidence of global crustal resurfacing. While these features have been studied extensively in isolation, no unifying mechanism has been established to explain their co-occurrence. This paper proposes the Trailing-Edge Impact Hypothesis: Venus experienced a massive, oblique collision with a silicate-rich co-planetary body that struck the planet's trailing (western) hemisphere during late-stage accretion. This impact configuration could simultaneously account for Venus's current spin state through angular momentum cancellation, its thick, tectonically inactive crust through retention of impactor material, and its absent magnetic field through disruption of core-mantle coupling. We present the physical reasoning underlying this hypothesis and discuss observational tests that could support or refute it. Supplementary Material File (trailing-edge-impact-hypothesis.pdf) Download 45.58 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 09 June 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Keywords giant impact planetary formation planetary magnetic fields plate tectonics retrograde rotation venus Authors Affiliations Dwight Fowler 0009-0008-5420-0768 [email protected] Independent Researcher View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 234 views 227 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Dwight Fowler. The Trailing-Edge Impact Hypothesis for Venusian Geological Paralysis. Authorea . 09 June 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174949093.36781355/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. 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