NASA's Juno Spacecraft Peers Beneath Io's Volcanic Surface
NASA's Juno spacecraft continues to deliver remarkable data about the Jupiter system, and its latest achievement involves a glimpse beneath the surface of Io, the most volcanically active body in our solar system.
The spacecraft's Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument has captured data that reveals heat rising from just beneath Io's surface. Unlike infrared instruments, which measure only surface temperatures, the MWR's lowest frequency channels (0.6 and 1.25 gigahertz) can penetrate approximately 6 to 10 kilometers below the surface. This capability allows scientists to create a heat map showing subsurface thermal activity.
The resulting map represents the deepest subsurface temperature data ever obtained for this moon. Io's intense volcanic activity is driven by tidal heating—the constant kneading of its interior caused by Jupiter's immense gravitational pull. By studying the distribution of subsurface heat, scientists can better understand the moon's internal structure and the mechanisms that power its hundreds of active volcanoes.
This breakthrough observation demonstrates Juno's expanding scientific reach as it continues its extended mission orbiting Jupiter.