Study Suggests Venus Could Have Been Wet Planet Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, studying hydrous mineral decomposition rates at extreme temperatures, have concluded that hot and dry Venus may have been a wet planet in the past, like Earth and ancient Mars.
Tremolite is a mineral that forms in the presence of water.
If tremolite or some other hydrous mineral can be detected on the surface of Venus, then it can be concluded that Earth's once-wet neighbor lost its water over time, putting to rest an enduring question in planetary science. 301-306, July, 2000. We have shown that tremolite can withstand extreme temperatures and remain intact for billions of years. If we can go to Venus and find tremolite, or some other hydrous mineral, then we would have proof that Venus had water in its past. Johnson and Fegley's research on the decomposition rate of tremolite shows that the evidence is in the rocks.