Geology and topography of Ra Patera, Io, in the Voyager era: Prelude to eruption

Paul M. Schenk; Alfred McEwen; A. G. Davies; Trevor Davenport; Kevin Jones; Brian Fessler

doi:10.1029/97GL02688

Geology and topography of Ra Patera, Io, in the Voyager era: Prelude to eruption

Paul M. Schenk, Alfred McEwen, A. G. Davies, Trevor Davenport, Kevin Jones, Brian Fessler

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22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Voyager era stereo images are used to map the geology and topography of Ra Patera (a major active volcanic center and possible site of sulfur eruptions on Io). The summit of Ra Patera reaches only ∼1 km above the surrounding plains. Pre-Voyager-era lava flows occur on slopes of 0.1-0.3°, comparable to the lunar mare. These flows were emplaced at either low viscosities, high eruption rates, or both. A 600-km-long ridged mountain unit (rising to ∼8 km near Carancho Patera) forms a 60 by 90 km wide plateau ∼0.5 km high 50 km east of Ra Patera. The new lava flows observed by Galileo flowed around the southern edge of this plateau.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	97GL02688
Pages (from-to)	2467-2470
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	24
Issue number	20
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/97GL02688
State	Published - 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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title = "Geology and topography of Ra Patera, Io, in the Voyager era: Prelude to eruption",

abstract = "Voyager era stereo images are used to map the geology and topography of Ra Patera (a major active volcanic center and possible site of sulfur eruptions on Io). The summit of Ra Patera reaches only ∼1 km above the surrounding plains. Pre-Voyager-era lava flows occur on slopes of 0.1-0.3°, comparable to the lunar mare. These flows were emplaced at either low viscosities, high eruption rates, or both. A 600-km-long ridged mountain unit (rising to ∼8 km near Carancho Patera) forms a 60 by 90 km wide plateau ∼0.5 km high 50 km east of Ra Patera. The new lava flows observed by Galileo flowed around the southern edge of this plateau.",

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T1 - Geology and topography of Ra Patera, Io, in the Voyager era

T2 - Prelude to eruption

AU - Schenk, Paul M.

AU - McEwen, Alfred

AU - Davies, A. G.

AU - Davenport, Trevor

AU - Jones, Kevin

AU - Fessler, Brian

PY - 1997

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AB - Voyager era stereo images are used to map the geology and topography of Ra Patera (a major active volcanic center and possible site of sulfur eruptions on Io). The summit of Ra Patera reaches only ∼1 km above the surrounding plains. Pre-Voyager-era lava flows occur on slopes of 0.1-0.3°, comparable to the lunar mare. These flows were emplaced at either low viscosities, high eruption rates, or both. A 600-km-long ridged mountain unit (rising to ∼8 km near Carancho Patera) forms a 60 by 90 km wide plateau ∼0.5 km high 50 km east of Ra Patera. The new lava flows observed by Galileo flowed around the southern edge of this plateau.

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Geology and topography of Ra Patera, Io, in the Voyager era: Prelude to eruption

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