NASA's Juno Probes Io's Subsurface Heat, Revealing Insights into Volcanic Activity
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- SPACE.com
NASA's Juno spacecraft has successfully measured temperatures beneath the surface of Jupiter's moon Io, marking the first time scientists have glimpsed the hidden heat that drives its intense volcanic activity. During close flybys in late 2023 and early 2024, Juno's Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument probed depths of two to six meters, uncovering temperature increases of over 40 degrees Fahrenheit just below the surface.
This groundbreaking discovery has significant implications for understanding volcanic processes on Earth. Scott Bolton, Juno's principal investigator, noted that similar MWR techniques could reveal subsurface temperature gradients near terrestrial volcanoes, enhancing our knowledge of how they function. The findings also indicated that Io's surface is largely smooth and covered with low-density materials, suggesting a continuous resurfacing process driven by volcanic activity.
Looking ahead, the insights gained from Juno's observations could improve eruption forecasting on Earth and enhance our understanding of tidal heating across the cosmos. The techniques used could also aid in the exploration of icy moons like Europa and Ganymede, where subsurface oceans may exist, potentially harboring conditions suitable for life. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Original report
What lurks beneath the volcanoes of Jupiter's moon Io? NASA's Juno probe just took a peek
SPACE.com · Samantha MathewsonThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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