The Global Distribution of Active Ionian Volcanoes and Implications for Tidal Heating Models

Abstract

Abstract Tidal heating is the major source of heat in the outer solar system. Because of its strong tidal interaction with Jupiter and the other Galilean satellites, Io is incredibly volcanically active. We use the directly measured volcanic activity level of Io’s volcanoes as a proxy for surface heat flow and compare it to tidal heating model predictions. Volcanic activity is a better proxy for heat flow than simply the locations of volcanic constructs. We determine the volcanic activity level using three data sets: the Galileo Photopolarimeter Radiometer (PPR), Galileo Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS), and New Horizons LEISA. We also present a systematic reanalysis of the Galileo NIMS observations to determine the 3.5 μm brightness of 51 active volcanoes. We find that potential differences in volcanic style between high and low latitudes make high-latitude observations unreliable for distinguishing between tidal heating models. Observations of Io’s polar areas, such as those by Juno, are necessary to unambiguously understand Io’s heat flow. However, all three of the data sets examined show a relative dearth of volcanic brightness near 180 W (anti-Jovian point) and the equator, and the only data set with good observations of the sub-Jovian point (LEISA) also shows a lack of volcanic brightness in that region. These observations are more consistent with the mantle-heating model than the asthenospheric-heating model. Furthermore, all three of the data sets are consistent with fourfold symmetry in longitude and peak heat flow at mid-latitudes, which best matches with the combined heating case of Tackley et al.