Windy L. Jaeger
Moses P. Milazzo
Jani Radebaugh
Ashley G. Davies
Karl L. Mitchell
Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
2007
<p>The initial interpretation of Galileo data from Jupiter's moon, Io, suggested eruption temperatures ≥1600°C. Tidal heating models have difficulties explaining Io's prodigious heat flow if the mantle is<span> </span>>1300°C, although we suggest that temperatures up to<span> </span>~1450°C<span> </span>may be possible. In general, Io eruption temperatures have been overestimated because the incorrect thermal model has been applied. Much of the thermal emission from high-temperature hot spots comes from lava fountains but lava flow models were utilized. We apply a new lava fountain model to the highest reported eruption temperature, the SSI observation of the 1997 eruption at Pillan. This resets the lower temperature limit for the eruption from ~1600 to<span> </span>~1340°C<span> </span>. Additionally, viscous heating of the magma may have increased eruption temperature by<span> </span>~50-100°C<span> </span>as a result of the strong compressive stresses in the ionian lithosphere. While further work is needed, it appears that the discrepancy between observations and interior models is largely resolved.</p>
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10.1016/j.icarus.2007.07.008
en
Elsevier Science B.V.
New estimates for Io eruption temperatures: Implications for the interior
article