JunoCam identifies new volcanic feature on Io

JunoCam identifies new volcanic feature on Io
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 15, 2024
NASA's Juno mission has detected a new volcanic feature on Jupiter's moon Io, known for being the most geologically active body in the Solar System. Close-up images captured by JunoCam, marking the first such views of Io in over 25 years, show a fresh volcano with extensive lava flows and volcanic deposits across a 180-kilometre by 180-kilometre region. These findings were presented at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) in Berlin this week.

This newly spotted volcano is situated south of Io's equator. Though Io is covered with numerous volcanoes, NASA's Galileo mission in 1997 did not observe any volcanic activity in this region, which was previously described as featureless.

"Our recent JunoCam images show many changes on Io, including this large, complicated volcanic feature that appears to have formed from nothing since 1997," explained Michael Ravine, Advanced Projects Manager at Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., the company responsible for designing, developing, and operating JunoCam for NASA's Juno Project.

On the volcano's eastern side, a diffuse red stain indicates sulphur vented into space by the volcano, which has settled back onto Io's surface. The western side is marked by two dark lava streams, each stretching approximately 100 kilometres. At the end of these lava flows, pooled lava has caused the frozen surface material to vaporise, creating two overlapping grey circular deposits.

JunoCam's most detailed image of this feature, located east of a pre-existing volcano named Kanehekili, was captured on February 3, 2024, from a distance of 2,530 kilometres with a resolution of 1.7 kilometres per pixel. The images were taken on Io's nightside, illuminated only by the light from Jupiter.

This discovery occurred during one of three recent flybys of Io in 2023 and 2024, during which JunoCam collected around 20 close-up colour images. In total, JunoCam observed nine volcanic plumes and detected various other changes on Io, including new lava flows and surface deposits.

JunoCam's data is made available to the public shortly after it is transmitted to Earth through the mission's official website (missionjuno.swri.edu), allowing enthusiasts to participate in creating images of Jupiter and its moons.

"JunoCam images are created by people from all walks of life, providing a way for anyone to join our science team and share in the excitement of space exploration," said Scott Bolton, Principal Investigator of NASA's Juno mission at Southwest Research Institute.

Research Report:Results from recent close-up imaging of Io by JunoCam (perijoves 57, 58, and 60)