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Abstract
AbstractTidal dissipation makes Jupiter's moon Io the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Most of the heat generated in the interior is lost through volcanic activity. In this study, we aim to answer the questions: Can convection and melt migration in the mantle explain the spatial characteristics of Io's observed volcanic pattern? And, if so, what constraints does this place on the viscosity and thickness of the convective layer? We examine three different spatial characteristics of Io's volcanic activity: (i) The presence of global volcanism, (ii) the presence of large‐scale variations in Io's volcanic activity, and (iii) the number of Io's volcanic systems. Our study relies on the assumptions that melt in the mantle controls Io's global volcanism, that the large‐scale variations of Io's volcanic activity are caused by nonuniform tidal heating, and that the spatial density of volcanoes correlates with the spatial density of convective anomalies in the mantle. The results show that the observed small and large‐scale characteristics of Io's volcanic pattern can be explained by sublithospheric anomalies influenced and caused by convective flow. Solutions that allow for active volcanism and Io's specific large‐scale variations in volcanic activity range from a thick mantle of a high viscosity ( Pa s) to a thin asthenosphere of a low viscosity ( Pa s). Provided that Io's volcanoes are induced by convective anomalies in the mantle, we find that more than 80% of Io's internal heat is transported by magmatic processes and that Io's upper mantle needs to be thicker than 50 km.
Highlights
Io's intensive volcanic activity and abundant volcanic surface features are signs of its intense heat loss and ongoing global resurfacing process driven by tidal dissipation
We aim to answer the questions: Can convection and melt migration in the mantle explain the spatial characteristics of Io's observed volcanic pattern? And, if so, what constraints does this place on the viscosity and thickness of the convective layer? We examine three different spatial characteristics of Io's volcanic activity: (i) The presence of global volcanism, (ii) the presence of large-scale variations in Io's volcanic activity, and (iii) the number of Io's volcanic systems
Our study relies on the assumptions that melt in the mantle controls Io's global volcanism, that the large-scale variations of Io's volcanic activity are caused by nonuniform tidal heating, and that the spatial density of volcanoes correlates with the spatial density of convective anomalies in the mantle
Summary
Io's intensive volcanic activity and abundant volcanic surface features are signs of its intense heat loss and ongoing global resurfacing process driven by tidal dissipation. The total number and spatial density variations of Io's volcanoes are likely controlled by subsurface properties and mechanisms. This could help us to gain insights into interior processes and answer the crucial question whether or not a magma ocean is present beneath Io's crust. Several studies investigated possible physical links between the locations of volcanic features and the interior of terrestrial planets and icy moons (e.g., Cañón-Tapia, 2014; Cañon-Tapia & Mendoza-Borunda, 2014; Crumpler & Revenaugh, 1997; Johnson & Richards, 2003; Smrekar & Sotin, 2012). Volcanism at the surface of planets and moons occurs when two conditions are fulfilled (Cañón-Tapia & Walker, 2004): (i) Molten and buoyant material is present, which is usually controlled by sublithospheric processes and (ii) a weakness in the lithosphere is present, which allows buoyant material to rise
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