Titanic volcanic eruption seen on Io [Photos r too cool for school]

The new scientist ^ | 11/14/02

[1bigdictator]

Titanic volcanic eruption seen on Io

14:50 14 November 02

NewScientist.com news service

A titanic volcanic eruption has been spotted on the surface of Jupiter's volatile moon Io using a telescope back on Earth. Astronomers believe it to be the most powerful eruption ever witnessed in the entire Solar System.... [see link for photos].

[RadioAstronomer]

Astronomers believe it to be the most powerful eruption ever witnessed in the entire Solar System

Should read planetary eruption. Io is pretty small. IMHO, a Solar Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun is just a wee bit more powerful and a touch larger! :-)

[RadioAstronomer]

Fun science ping.

[MHGinTN]

I think it means 'volcanic eruption'. A coronal ejection isn't the same thing is it?... On another note, could this eruption actually be due to an impact? It appears to be so massive, so out of proportion to Io's size.

[CarolAnn]

A coronal ejection is the energy released by our sun following an event like a solar flare. They are what causes Auroras here on Earth.

[RadioAstronomer]

I was looking at those tables again, it rotates as fast as it orbits the planet?

Which means that one side of the moon is facing Jupiter. This type of orbit is called a synchronous orbit. Our own moon is in this type of orbit around the earth. Why they used to say there is a dark side of the moon. Not because it “dark”, but because we could never see the far side of the moon from the surface of the Earth.

However, due to gravity interaction (orbital resonance) with its neighbors such as Europa and Ganymede (also moons of Jupiter), the orbit of Io is elliptical and one side does not face exactly to Jupiter all the time.

Note: The tidal forces on Io due to Jupiter trying to circularize it's orbit and the forces from the other moons trying to make the Io’s orbit elliptical creates the energy that make the moon so geologically active.

[RadioAstronomer]

I think it means 'volcanic eruption'

Yup, I knew what they meant, just that it was not clearly written and I was having a bit of fun :-).

[MHGinTN]

I'm not much on geology, so, wouldn't an eruption of this magnitude, with no other eruptions across the surface indicate an impact cause?

[MHGinTN]

If memory serves, Io is thought to have a simblance of plate tectonics, so one massive eruption, if not caused by an impact would be one of several rather than an anomoly, is that correct?

[RadioAstronomer]

I'm not much on geology, so, wouldn't an eruption of this magnitude, with no other eruptions across the surface indicate an impact cause?

I also am not a planetary geologist, however, I believe that the internal elasticity and the tidal forces could cause such an erruption.

I will defer to the geologists. :-)

[MHGinTN]

Wow, all that 'grabitational' force on Io must be positively wrenching!

[RadioAstronomer]

From here :http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system/features/lopes_index.html

Although both Earth and Io have active volcanism, the way the volcanism happens is quite different. On Earth, volcanism is tied to plate tectonics, and we don't believe Io has plate tectonics. Io is in a tug of war between Jupiter and Europa and Ganymede, two of the other large moons of Jupiter, and that is what heats it up. If Io weren't in its very peculiar orbit around Jupiter, it wouldn't have active volcanism. It would have cooled off a long time ago.

[usadave]

[Photos r too cool for school]

Speaking of school, it looks like you missed at least a few spelling lessons while you were attending school. Or are you still?

[Aracelis]

Thanks for the ping.

[RadioAstronomer]

Wow, all that 'grabitational' force on Io must be positively wrenching!

LOL! :-)

[RadioAstronomer]

You have freepmail :-)

[Mark17]

How many gigawatts did it take for the flux capacitor to power the DeLorean back to the future? Was it 1.2 gigawatts?

LOL, I figured someone would ask. I think it was 1.21 gigawatts.

[Aracelis]

a Solar Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun is just a wee bit more powerful and a touch larger! :-)

RA, you are the quintessential minimalist! :-)

[Aracelis]

I believe that the internal elasticity and the tidal forces could cause such an erruption.

Indeed they can...and do. I do not have the image readily accessible, but there was another famous photo (a side view) of an eruption in progress on Io.

No doubt PH could come up with the photo :-)

[RadioAstronomer]

RA, you are the quintessential minimalist! :-)

LOL! :-)

[fone]

||| This type of orbit is called a synchronous orbit. |||

Gotcha! Thanks for the edumication!