An international team of scientists analyzed data obtained by NASA’s Juno spacecraft and determined the cause of volcanic activity on Jupiter’s moon Io. It turned out that it was caused by local magma chambers, and not by a global ocean of magma under the surface, as previously thought.
As Day.Az reports, the work was published in the journal Nature.
Io is the most active volcanic moon in the solar system, with more than 400 active volcanoes. It was previously believed that the cause of such high volcanic activity was a global magma ocean. However, a new study based on data collected by the Juno spacecraft, gravity measurements and information about the satellite’s tidal deformations has led scientists to conclude that Io’s volcanoes are fueled by local igneous deposits that are located in a predominantly solid mantle.
“The energy from constant tidal influences melts parts of Io’s surface, but it is not enough to form a global magma ocean,” said Scott Bolton, project leader.
The new findings prompt researchers to reconsider their understanding of internal processes not only on Io, but also on other icy moons such as Europa and Enceladus, as well as on exoplanets and super-Earths. This will help to better understand how tidal forces affect the internal structure of celestial bodies.