Jupiter's moon has more volcanoes than Earth

Io's fiery surface is a wild spectacle, more active than our own planet

By Smartasaurus· 1 min read Cosmic

rotting pepperoni pizza

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The short version

Io's fiery surface is a wild spectacle, more active than our own planet
This friction generates intense internal heat through a process called tidal heating.
Because of the heavy sulfur deposits, the moon's surface doesn't look like rock; it looks like a rotting pepperoni pizza covered in yellow, green,…

Jupiter’s moon Io shouldn't be hot, but its surface is a hellscape of liquid sulfur and erupting magma. It is the most geologically active object in our solar system, boasting over 400 active volcanoes.

This heat doesn't come from a molten core like Earth. Instead, Io is caught in a gravitational tug-of-war between Jupiter and two other moons, Europa and Ganymede. This constant pulling stretches and squeezes the solid rock of Io like a piece of silly putty.

This friction generates intense internal heat through a process called tidal heating. The resulting pressure is so great that volcanic plumes shoot 300 miles above the surface, literally leaking matter into space.

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