Global distribution of canali on Venus

The surface of Venus shows an abundance of channels with constant widths along their lengths and a simple channel structure that are interpreted to have formed volcanically. They have the International Astronomical Union (IAU) descriptor term ‘vallis, valles’. Previous research focused heavily on the 7400-km-long Baltis Vallis but there is no systematic map documenting the total extent of all 72 named channels. Here, we systematically mapped 66 of the channels that could be clearly identified in NASA’s Magellan SAR data. From our map, we compiled physical characteristics including length, sinuosity, and channel orientation. Lengths range from 70 to 7400 km, their sinuosities fall between 1.03 and 2.25, and we detect no global trend in preferred orientation or flow direction. Our map improves the global geologic map products available for Venus and, as highlighted for Ikhwezi Vallis, is useful for a detailed interpretation of the geologic history of our second planet.