Numerous extensive lava flows, several longer than 500 kilometres (311 mi) in length, also mark the surface. Its volcanic plumes and lava flows produce large surface changes and paint the surface in various shades of yellow, red, white, black, and green, largely due to allotropes and compounds of sulfur. Io's volcanism is responsible for many of that satellite's unique features. Most of Io's surface is characterized by extensive plains coated with sulfur and sulfur dioxide frost. Unlike most satellites in the outer Solar System, which are mostly composed of water ice, Io is primarily composed of silicate rock surrounding a molten iron or iron sulfide core. Some of these peaks are taller than Earth's Mount Everest. Io's surface is also dotted with more than 100 mountains that have been uplifted by extensive compression at the base of the moon's silicate crust. Several volcanoes produce plumes of sulfur and sulfur dioxide that climb as high as 500 km (310 mi) above the surface. ![]() ![]() This extreme geologic activity is the result of tidal heating from friction generated within Io's interior as it is pulled between Jupiter and the other Galilean satellites- Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. With over 400 active volcanoes, Io is the most geologically active object in the Solar System. It was named after Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus. Io (pronounced /ˈaɪ.oʊ/, or as Greek Ἰώ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of 3,642 kilometres (2,263 mi), the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |