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stackghosttoday at 4:02 AM2 repliesview on HN

I'm interested in learning more about "Io's shenanigans". What are you referring to?


Replies

delta_p_delta_xtoday at 6:26 AM

Io is in orbital resonance with Europa and Ganymede, which causes its orbit to be slightly elliptical. Due to Jupiter's immense gravitational field strength, Io experiences a very high changing tidal force, which causes a changing stress and strain on the entire structure of Io, which causes tidal heating due to friction. This makes it by far the most volcanically active body in the Solar System. Its surface is regularly completely resurfaced, and is covered in sulfur compounds.

gorgoilertoday at 7:41 AM

https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-moons/io/facts/#h-m...

Jupiter and Io have a very interesting symbiosis. Jupiter melts Io to form dusty volcanos. It then magnetically sweeps Io clean of dust. The dust forms a plasma ring that enhances the same magnetic field.