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Paterae on Io: Volcanic Activity Observed by Galileo's NIMS and SSIPaterae are the most ubiquitous volcanic construct on Io s surface. Paterae are irregular craters, or complex craters with scalloped edges, interpreted as calderas or pit craters. Data from Galileo has shown that the activity of Ionian paterae is often confined to its interior and that generally lava flows are not seen spilling out over the edges. We use observations from Galileo s Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) to study the thermal emission from several Ionian paterae and compare them with images in visible wavelengths obtained by Galileo s Solid State Imaging System (SSI). Galileo s close fly-bys of Io from 1999 to 2001 have allowed NIMS to image the paterae at high spatial resolution (1-30 km pixel). At these scales, several of these features reveal greater thermal emission around the edges, which can be explained as the crust of a lava lake breaking up against the paterae walls. Comparisons with imaging data show that lower albedo areas (which are indicative of young lavas) coincide with higher thermal emission areas on NIMS data. Other paterae, however, show thermal emission and features in the visible that are more consistent with lava flows over a solid patera floor. Identifying eruption styles on Io is important for constraining eruption and interior models on Io.
Document ID
20030111270
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lopes, Rosaly
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kamp, Lucas
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Smythe, W. D.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Carlson, R.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Radebaugh, Jani
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Gregg, Tracy K.
(State Univ. of New York Buffalo, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2003
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIV
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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