Juno spacecraft data suggests Io's controversial magma ocean may not exist
The new study published in Nature challenges previous claims that Bayou has a shallow global magma ocean beneath its surface.
Data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, along with past observations, suggests that the intense volcanic activity on Io is not caused by a vast subsurface magma ocean. This discovery could reshape our understanding of the moon's interior and influence broader theories about the formation and evolution of planets.
The volcanic power of Io
Io, the most volcanically active body in the solar system, is subject to extreme geological activity due to tidal forces from Jupiter's gravity. Io's orbit is elliptical, so Jupiter's gravity stretches and compresses the moon, generating internal heat. Some scientists have hypothesized that this process could generate enough energy to sustain a global magma ocean beneath the surface, but this idea remains controversial.
To test this theory, researchers analyzed measurements of Io's tidal deformation—the amount of bending of the surface under the pull of gravity. Recent Juno flybys, combined with past data, allowed Ryan Park and his team to calculate the amount of this deformation. Their findings suggest that Io's interior is not suitable for a shallow magma ocean, raising new questions about how the moon's volcanic activity occurs.
Solid mantle, not a magma ocean
The results are inconsistent with what would be expected if there were a shallow global magma ocean, and suggest that Io has a mostly solid mantle, the authors report. Are there perhaps specific regions of magma deep within the moon? That remains to be determined, they add.
The findings suggest that tidal forces do not always create global magma oceans, and this could affect our understanding of other moons, such as Enceladus or Europa, the authors conclude.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
