ALMA Spots Volcanic Plumes on Jupiter’s Moon Io

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have spotted airborne plumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur monoxide (SO), and potassium chloride (KCl) from Io’s active volcanoes.

Jupiter’s satellite Io is unique amongst planetary bodies in the Solar System.

It hosts more than 400 active volcanoes, spewing out sulfur gases. Its yellow-white-orange-red coloration is produced by sulfur dioxide-frost on its surface, elemental sulfur and a variety of sulfur allotropes.

Io has a thick atmosphere that can teach us about the moon’s volcanic activity and provide us a window into the exotic moon’s interior and what is happening below its colorful crust.

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Image credit: ALMA / ESO / NAOJ / NRAO / I. de Pater et al. / NRAO / AUI / NSF / S. Dagnello / NASA / ESA.

Composite image showing Io in radio (ALMA) and optical light (Voyager 1 and Galileo); the ALMA images show plumes of sulfur dioxide (in yellow); Jupiter is visible in the background (Hubble).

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Jupiter’s Moon Io in Radio and Optical Light

This video shows images of Jupiter's moon Io in radio (made with ALMA), and optical light (made with Voyager 1 and Galileo missions).

The ALMA images were taken when Io passed into Jupiter's shadow in March 2018 (eclipse), and from Jupiter's shadow into sunlight in September 2018.

These radio images for the first time show plumes of sulfur dioxide (in yellow) rise up from the volcanoes on Io.

Jupiter Moon's Volcanic Plume Seen By Spacecraft

NASA's New Horizon mission snapped imagery of volcanic debris emanating from Io's Tvashtar volcano in 2007. The plume reaches up to 205 miles above the surface of Io.