Lada Terra, named for a Slavic goddess of Love, [1] is a major landmass near the south pole of Venus which is centered at 60°S and 20°E and has a diameter of 8,615 kilometres (5,353 mi).

The broad region of Lada Terra contains massive coronae, rift zones, and volcanic plains as well as many other features that scientists use to attempt to piece together the history of this complex planet.

The distinctive cross-cutting relationships found in the bedding of Lada Terra have been important in realizing relative ages of the extensional belts and coronae, as well as the complex tesserae features present planet-wide.

[3] In 1990 the Venus Radar Mapper revealed the largest outflow channel system on the planet located in the northern region of Lada Terra.

[6] In 2007, data retrieved from the Venus Express mission using the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer revealed high emissivity anomalies which is interpreted by many scientists to be a hotspot analogous to the Hawaii hot spot on Earth.

[6] The mantle upwelling associated with hot spot tectonism appears to be the dominant process which formed and evolved the Lada Rise.

However, using cross cutting relationships obtained from the radar data received from the missions to Venus has allowed scientists to draw complex correlations.

[3] As a result, shield volcanoes formed around the corona and began intense episodic volcanism, with the flows from these events now covering 48% of the Lada Terra region.

[3] These massive lava flows along with the suspected adjacent mantle upwelling slowly built and uplifted the Lada Rise some time after the initial formation of the Quetzalpetlatl Corona.

[6] Volcanism due to the formation of the Boala Corona (with its deposits cross cutting the previously mentioned structures) form the youngest lava flows observed and represents the latest episode of the evolution of the Lada Rise.