NASA’s Juno mission has made a groundbreaking discovery about the volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon, Io. Contrary to previous theories, scientists have found that each volcano is likely fueled by its own magma chamber, rather than a single global magma ocean.
The discovery was made possible by precise gravity measurements taken during two close flybys of Io in 2023 and 2024. These measurements resolved a long-standing mystery about Io’s volcanic activity, which has been puzzling scientists for 44 years.
Io is the most volcanically active body in our solar system, with an estimated 400 volcanoes that erupt continuously. The moon’s surface is coated with lava and plumes, but the source of this activity was unclear until now.
According to Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator, the discovery was made by comparing Doppler data from the spacecraft’s flybys with previous observations from NASA missions and ground telescopes. They found that tidal deformation on Io’s surface is consistent with a localized magma chamber, not a global ocean.
The implications of this discovery are significant, as it challenges our understanding of other moons like Enceladus and Europa, as well as exoplanets and super-Earths. The Juno mission has provided valuable insights into planetary formation and evolution.
With its 66th science flyby over Jupiter’s cloud tops already completed, the spacecraft will make another close approach to the gas giant on December 27.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/inside-io-nasas-juno-reveals-hidden-magma-chambers-fueling-endless-eruptions