Overview

• Juno's infrared instrument JIRAM detected widespread lava lakes across Io's surface.
• The data revealed that around 3% of Io's surface is covered by molten lava lakes.
• Infrared images show a thin circle of lava at the borders of these lakes, suggesting a balance between erupted and recirculated magma.
• Researchers propose two hypotheses for the observed volcanic activity involving crust deformation and magma upwelling.
• Continued flybys are expected to yield more detailed information on Io's volcanic processes.