Heavy Metal Frost on Highlands of Venus?

deglr6328 writes "The BBC is reporting that a paper published in the journal Icarus, suggests that the highlands of Venus are covered by a layer of Lead and Bismuth frost. The authors of the paper were looking for a way to explain the anomalous high reflectivity (and corresponding low emissivity) shown at high altitudes in synthetic aperture radar images sent back by the Magellan probe in the early 90's. The study concludes that Venus's lowlands are hot enough (~850F) to partially vaporize these metals into a mist which then condenses back out of the atmosphere to a solid on the surface of the cooler Venusian highlands."