How big can volcanic eruptions get on Jupiter’s moon, Io? This is what a recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets hopes to address as an international team of scientists investigated new data that could rewrite the textbooks regarding Io’s volcanic activity. This study has the potential to help scientists better understand the geological activity on other worlds, and specifically what this could mean for finding life beyond Earth.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft that observed a massive volcanic eruption from Io on December 27, 2024. This eruption not only spanned an area of approximately 65,000 square kilometers (25,100 square miles) but also released a total energy output between 140 to 260 terawatts (TW). For context, the largest recorded volcanic on Earth was the Laki eruption that occurred in 1783 and encompassed a volume of approximately 15 cubic kilometers (3.6 cubic miles) and Earth eruptions are measured in gigawatts, not terawatts.
Given its massive size, the researchers noted this is the largest volcanic eruption ever observed on Io. Additionally, the researchers observed that the brightness of volcanic hotspots near this massive eruption increased by 1,000 times, indicating potential subsurface connections between volcanoes, although some volcanoes were observed to be unaffected.
The study notes in its conclusions, “Our observations support the emerging picture of extensive regional magma systems on Io rather than volcanism being sourced from a globally magma ocean. The topology of these regional magma systems may in some ways resemble that of an enormous sponge. In this model, discrete large subsurface reservoirs are the pores interconnected through a largely solid outer shell. Future observations by Juno may clarify the late 2024 eruptive event's nature, which could have left pyroclastic deposits or lava flows akin to previous large eruptions, offering insights into Io's volcanic and tectonic regimes.”
What new insight into Io’s volcanic activity will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Creation Ministries International
Featured Image Credit: NASA / JPL / University of Arizona