NASA's Juno Mission Solves Io's Volcanic Mystery

New research confirms Jupiter's moon Io lacks a global magma ocean, revealing its volcanoes are powered by localized magma chambers.

Io, the most volcanically active body in the solar system, has over 400 active volcanoes fueled by individual magma chambers rather than a global magma ocean.
NASA's Juno spacecraft conducted close flybys of Io in December 2023 and February 2024, gathering data to map the moon's gravity and internal structure.
The findings indicate that tidal flexing caused by Jupiter's gravitational pull generates localized heat pockets, melting parts of Io's interior and fueling its volcanic activity.
This discovery challenges previous theories of global magma oceans and has implications for understanding other moons like Europa and Enceladus, as well as exoplanets and super-Earths.
The research, published in Nature and presented at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting, marks a breakthrough in understanding planetary formation and evolution.