Tidal Heating in Io

Isamu N. Matsuyama, Teresa Steinke, Francis Nimmo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Io experiences strong, periodic, gravitational tides from Jupiter because of its close distance to the planet and its elliptic orbit. This generates internal friction that heats the interior, a naturally occurring process in the Solar System and beyond. Io is unique in our Solar System because it gets most of its internal energy from this tidal heating, providing an ideal laboratory for improving our understanding of this fundamental process that plays a key role in the thermal and orbital evolution of the Moon, satellites in the outer Solar System, and extrasolar planets.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)374-378
Number of pages5
JournalElements
Volume18
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2022

Keywords

  • Io
  • Jupiter
  • deformation
  • heating
  • orbits
  • tides

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

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