An artist’s rendering depicts Io’s volcanic plumes creating the atmosphere in sunlight. Credit: Image courtesy of Southwest Research Institute
Research reveals freezing effects of Jupiter’s shadow on moon’s volcanic gases. A study led by SwRI’s Constantine Tsang concluded that Io’s thin atmosphere, which consists primarily of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emitted from volcanoes, collapses as the SO2 freezes onto the surface as ice when Io is shaded by Jupiter. When the moon moves out of eclipse and ice warms, the atmosphere reforms through sublimation, where ice converts directly to gas. “This research is the first time scientists have observed this phenomenon directly, improving our understanding of this geologically active moon,” said Tsang, SwRI’s Space Science and Engineering Division.
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