Was Venus Wet? Deuterium Reconsidered

Abstract

The ratio of deuterium to hydrogen on Venus has been accepted as proof of a wetter, more Earth-like past on that planet. However, the present-day water abundance and the nonthermal hydrogen escape flux on Venus imply that hydrogen is in a steady state and that a hydrogen source, most likely cometary infall, is present. An alternative interpretation of the D/H ratio is offered, in which the measured value is consistent with a steady-state evolution over the age of the solar system. No past water excess is required to explain the isotopic data.