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Exploring Jupiter's Galilean Moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto

Discover the fascinating worlds of Jupiter's Galilean Moons - Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Explore their unique features, from Io's active volcanoes to Europa's potential for life beneath its icy crust. Learn about Ganymede's grooved terrain and Callisto's cratered surface. Delve into the mysteries of these moons and understand their geological history and potential for harboring hidden secrets.

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Exploring Jupiter's Galilean Moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto

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  1. Moons of Jupiter – total of 63 confirmed! a. b.

  2. Inner moons closer to Jupiter than Io

  3. Amalthea

  4. Jupiter’s Galilean Satellites – Worlds of their own! Io Europa Ganymede Callisto To Jupiter

  5. Sizes of some of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter

  6. Jupiter’s moon Io, volcanologically the most active body in our Solar System. 1.) Color - sulfur! 2.) Albedo - 63 % 3.) No impact craters - fresh surface 4.) Recent lava flows 5.) Numerous calderas 6.) Numerous active volcanoes, spewing out sulfur and silicate lava

  7. Io

  8. Voyager’s discovery of active volcanic plumes on Io

  9. Views of Pele Plume: 1,300 km wide 600 km high

  10. Plumes seen on limb and as shadows on surface Limb view Plume shadow

  11. Long lava flows at Ra Patera > 100 km long

  12. Lava flows on Io

  13. Examples of lava lakes at Kilauea, 1988

  14. Where does the heat come from on Io? Tidal heating from Jupiter, Europa and Ganymede

  15. Interior of Io; density = 3.55 gm/cc Iron-rich core Molten interior Thin silicate crust

  16. Jupiter’s Galilean Satellites – Worlds of their own! Io Europa Ganymede Callisto To Jupiter

  17. Europa: 3,138 km diameter; density 3.04 gm/cc

  18. Ideas for a frozen interior for Europa

  19. Ideas for a liquid interior for Europa

  20. How do we get heat into the interior of Europa? • Tidal heating. Europa is tugged towards Jupiter, but is also pulled away from Jupiter by Io, Ganymede and Callisto. • Without tidal heating, Europa would look like Callisto.

  21. Colored bands – fractures in ice crust

  22. Multiple periods of fracturing

  23. Topography of fractures on Europa

  24. Some craters are found on Europa – but very young!

  25. “Icebergs” on Europa suggest thin (5 – 20 km) crust

  26. If there is volcanism on Europa, ice may be thin, so….. Tube worms on Earth’s ocean floor hint that similar life could evolve on Europa without sunlight Model of hot interior of Europa Black smokers on Earth

  27. Ganymede: 5,262 km diameter; density 1.94 gm/cc (Mercury diameter = 4,880 km)

  28. Light and dark terrain on Ganymede – long geologic history

  29. Grooves on Ganymede – signs of surface movement similar to plate tectonics on Earth?

  30. Grooved Terrain on Ganymede

  31. Signs of comet impacts? Chains of craters with ejecta

  32. Magnetometer data give clue to interior of Ganymede Liquid water Iron core Silicate lower mantle Ice crust

  33. Callisto: Diameter 4,800 km, density 1.86 gm/cc

  34. Thousands of craters at all scales on Callisto

  35. Valhalla basin - ~600 km in diameter

  36. Details of a “ring” of Valhalla Basin

  37. Magnetometer data give clue to interior of Callisto Solid rock-ice Ice-rich outer layer

  38. Relative ages of the surfaces of the Galilean Satellites: From left to right, from young to old.

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