ill , ▁suggesting ▁that ▁various ▁regions ▁have ▁u pl ift ed ▁and ▁subs ided ▁since ▁the ▁channel ▁formed . ▁ ▁Both ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁channel ▁are ▁obsc ured , ▁however , ▁so ▁its ▁original ▁length ▁is ▁unknown . ▁The ▁channel ▁was ▁initially ▁discovered ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁V ener a ▁ 1 5 ▁and ▁ 1 6 ▁orbit ers ▁which , ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁their ▁one - kil ometer ▁resolution , ▁detected ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁of ▁the ▁channel . ▁These ▁channel - like ▁features ▁are ▁common ▁on ▁the ▁pla ins ▁of ▁Ven us . ▁In ▁some ▁places ▁they ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁formed ▁by ▁la va ▁which ▁may ▁have ▁m elt ed ▁or ▁therm ally ▁er oded ▁a ▁path ▁over ▁the ▁pla ins ' ▁surface . ▁Most ▁are ▁ 1 ▁to ▁ 3   kil om eters ▁( 0 . 6 ▁to ▁ 2 ▁miles ) ▁wide . ▁They ▁res emble ▁terrest rial ▁me and ering ▁rivers ▁in ▁some ▁aspects , ▁with ▁me and ers , ▁cut off ▁b ows ▁and ▁abandoned ▁channel ▁segments . ▁However , ▁Ven us ▁channels ▁are ▁not ▁as ▁tight ly ▁sin uous ▁as ▁terrest rial ▁rivers . ▁Most ▁are ▁partly ▁buried ▁by ▁younger ▁la va ▁pla ins , ▁making ▁their ▁sources ▁difficult ▁to ▁identify . ▁A ▁few ▁have ▁vast ▁rad ar - dark ▁pla ins ▁units ▁associated ▁with ▁them , ▁suggesting ▁large ▁flow ▁volumes . ▁These ▁channels ▁with ▁large ▁depos its ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁older ▁than ▁other ▁channel ▁types , ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁crossed ▁by ▁f ract ures ▁and