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Jupiter's Moon Io Has a Volcanic Sub-Surface
gabbo529 writes "NASA scientists have discovered new information on one of Jupiter's moons, indicating it has a molten magma sub-surface (abstract). This discovery, made using data analysis from NASA's Galileo spacecraft, reveals why that particular moon is the most volcanic object known in the solar system. The moon, which is named Io, produces about 100 times more lava each year than all the volcanoes on Earth combined. The global magma ocean about 30 to 50 kilometers (20 to 30 miles) beneath Io's surface explains the moon's activity."
Science has a nice graphic, too.
It's been widely known for a long time that Io is volcanically active. I remember reading about it in a kids' astronomy book in the 1970's.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
...and has been in the planet's atmosphere since 2003.
That's a really interesting way of looking at it.
How many Slashdot readers don't know that Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system?
I just thought it was kinda frustrating reaching Io at the end of the description. I was hoping it was another of Jupiter's moons because I figured if it were Io, Io would've been stated.
Viable Slashdot alternatives: https://pipedot.org/ and http://soylentnews.org/
"Whether they ever find life there or not, I think Jupiter should be considered an enemy planet." - Jack Handy
magma
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
I know all about this moon.
It went there of its own accord. It just wants to be free!
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Earth doesn't need fixing. The problem is the stupid damn monkeys who live there.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Io is the most volcanic body in the solar system. By definition, wouldn't that mean it has a volcanic sub-surface? Last time I checked, magma comes up from underground to the surface.
From the summary:
The global magma ocean about 30 to 50 kilometers (20 to 30 miles) beneath Io's surface explains the moon's activity.
All these years, I thought it was physics that explained the moons activity.
Monkey are ok, it those damn dirty hairless apes that is causing all the problem.
From the article: "Scientists are excited we finally understand where Io's magma is coming from and have an explanation for some of the mysterious signatures we saw in some of the Galileo's magnetic field data," Krishan Khurana, lead author of the study and former co-investigator on Galileo's magnetometer team at UCLA, said.
If a body is spouting Lava from its outer surface then that's more often than not a sign that its subsurface is also hot.
Didn't realize that the voyager spacecraft were capable of peering dozens of kilometers under the surface of Io.
Amazing what slashdot ACs know before anyone else does. Maybe he can tell us what New Horizons will find when it gets to Pluto and save us the wait.
I think some of the people confidently commenting on this article have a geology knowledge level akin to "I think it's made of rock."
I thought it was a pretty interesting result. They'd been guessing beforehand. Now they have actual evidence of a global magma layer.
There was a brilliant short story by Arthur C. Clarke (I think) where the world population was in the trillions, and they were about to reach the point at which all the earth's resources were entirely dedicated to humanity. Accordingly the last zoo (comprising a couple guinea pigs and rabbits and a square meter or two of grass) was to be demolished to allow this milestone to be reached.
When we cast our eyes to the ground all we eat is dust, when we look to the heavens our feast is the stars.
Every society which has focused on their navels as the idiot above suggests has failed. Every single one. No exceptions. Only societies which explore and question and try for audacious goals succeed. By all means, encourage your politician-critters to drive your society to follow the Mayans to extinction. I'll applaud the net loss of stupidity, ignorance and cowardice.
Monkey are ok, it those damn dirty hairless apes that is causing all the problem.
The dirty hairless apes in old T-Shirts and jeans are ok, it's the hairless apes dressed in suits that are causing all the problem
---
Where is the adamantine?
Troll much?
This aint Daytona and you aint Dale Earnhardt. So stop trying to draft on Interstate 40.
A magma ocean is not a 100% liquid rock layer beneath the surface.
The observations made by this team are consistent with a 50 km-thick layer about 50 km below the surface (that is, within the mantle) with >=20 volume% melt fraction. This work is based on how Io affects Jupiter's magnetic field.
Other research teams have demonstrated, since the 1990s that Io should have a mantle with a >= 20 volume% melt fraction at some depth in the mantle--it was never clear where this magma ocean was located. This work is based on observations of the surface eruptions and models for how quickly silicate lavas cool.
The fact that these agree is significant.
A substantial portion of Io at 100 volume% melt would actually not work because pure liquid does not dissipate enough of the energy from the tidal forces to maintain 100 volume% melt. That is there's a feedback loop between Io's interior and the tidal flexing:
* Too much liquid in the interior and the energy dissipation will decrease significantly, allowing the liquid to cool enough to solidify significantly.
* Too little liquid and the interior would quickly dissipate enough tidal energy (in the form of friction) to significantly melt the interior.
So, Io's orbital resonances keep a small part of its mantle molten at between 20 volume% and 50-70 volume.
That there's now a depth associated with this magma ocean is actually quite significant. We can start better understanding the role volatiles play in Io's volcanism now that we know where the molten rock is coming from.
Isn't this the same moon that I created??
Nothing here... So... SHOOO!!!
We might, but it won't be earth-like. More like mining colonies with gruff marshals with a Scottish accent.