The Maxwell Montes region, surveyed by the Venera 15, Venera 16 orbiters

Between November 1983 and July 1984 the radar systems on the Venera 15 and 16 orbiters mapped much of the Venus northern hemisphere at high resolution. In particular, Maxwell Montes (the highest range on Venus) and a large part of the surrounding terrain exhibit horizontal tectonic deformations of compressive origin resembling mountain folds on the earth. The plains contiguous to Maxwell Montes may comprise basaltic extrusions, like the maria found on other terrestrial planets and the moon. The 100-km depression called Patera Cleopatra actually has a structure analogous to double-ring impact craters rather than volcanic calderas.