What causes volcanic activity on Io?

What causes volcanic activity on Io?

The volcanic activity is a result of Io being stretched and squeezed as it orbits Jupiter. Io’s rock surface bulges up and down by as much as 100 meters (328 feet) during the process. This affects Io’s volcanic activity in a similar way to which Earth’s oceans react to the moon.

What is the source of volcanic heat?

The heat sources that drive modern-day volcanism are 1) heat released as a byproduct of radioactive decay and 2) residual heat leftover from the formation of the Earth.

What heats the moon Io?

The major heating source of Earth and its moon is radioactive heating, but the heating source on Io is tidal heating. As Jupiter is very massive, the side of Io nearest to Jupiter has a slightly larger gravitational pull than the opposite side. This difference in gravitational forces cause distortion of Io’s shape.

What is the energy source of the volcanoes on Io?

The forced eccentricity causes intense tidal heating of Io—heating from internal friction due to continual flexing of the satellite—by Jupiter’s powerful gravitational field, which is the source of energy that powers the volcanoes.

What is the source of Io’s volcanic activity quizlet?

Formation of the satellites may have mimicked the formation of the Sun and inner planets. What is the cause of Io’s volcanic activity? Gravity–its close orbit with Jupiter tidal forces are present; it is also tugged by Europa. To prevent a synchronous orbit Io “wobbles” which squeeze and flex Io’s interior.

How hot is Io lava?

Io was found to have at least 12 active volcanoes erupting lava at temperatures over 1200 degrees Celsius. Scientists believe that lava at one of the sites reaches a temperature of over 1700 degrees Celsius.

What is the source of a volcano?

Volcanoes on Earth form from rising magma. Magma rises in three different ways. Magma can rise when pieces of Earth’s crust called tectonic plates slowly move away from each other. The magma rises up to fill in the space.

Is moon a heat source?

During the long lunar day, lasting some 300 of-our hours, the sun’s rays are poured without intermission upon the lunar surface. That we receive heat from the moon he has shown conclusively, and there can be no doubt that a large portion of this heat is radiated from the moon.

Does the moon cause tidal heating?

Tidal heating is the increase in internal thermal content of a planet or moon associated with the differential gravitational force (or tide) between two bodies in orbit about their common center of mass.

How often do volcanoes erupt on Io?

Read more: Huge lava fountains seen gushing from Jupiter moon. Rathbun’s observations previously showed that the volcano erupted about once every 540 days in the 1990s. But the intervals have shortened: now it’s about once every 475 days. She says we don’t know why it is happening more often.

What is the explanation for Jupiter’s source of internal heat quizlet?

Most of the internal energy of Jupiter is primordial heat, left over from the formation of the planet 4.5 billon years ago, when it gathered together from smaller “planetesimals” and accreted gas; the gravitational energy lost as these “building blocks” fell together turned into heat.