USGS · 70022266
A close-up look at Io from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer
Abstract
Infrared spectral images of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, acquired during the October and November 1999 and February 2000 flybys of the Galileo spacecraft, were used to study the thermal structure and sulfur dioxide distribution of active volcanoes. Loki Patera, the solar system's most powerful known volcano, exhibits large expanses of dark, cooling lava on its caldera floor. Prometheus, the site of long-lived plume activity, has two major areas of thermal emission, which support ideas of plume migration. Sulfur dioxide deposits were mapped at local scales and show a more complex relationship to surface colors than previously thought, indicating the presence of other sulfur compounds.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
R. Lopes-Gautier, S. Doute, W. D. Smythe, L.W. Kamp, R. W. Carlson, A. G. Davies, F.E. Leader, A. S. McEwen, P.E. Geissler, S. W. Kieffer, L. Keszthelyi, E. Barbinis, R. Mehlman, M. Segura, J. Shirley, L.A. Soderblom. 2000. A close-up look at Io from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.288.5469.1201
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.