Synchronized Eruptions on Io: Possible Evidence of Interconnected Subsurface Magma Reservoirs
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: On 27 December 2024, Juno's JIRAM (Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper) instrument observed an unprecedented volcanic event in Io's southern hemisphere, covering a vast region of ∼65,000 km 2 , near 73°S, 140°E. Within the imaged region, only one hot spot was previously known (Pfd454). This feature was earlier estimated to cover an area of 300 km 2 with a total power output of 34 GW. JIRAM results show that the region produces a power output of 140–260 TW, over 1,000 times higher than earlier estimates and likely exceeding the brightest eruption ever recorded on Io, that of Surt in 2001 (∼80 TW). Three adjacent hot spots also exhibited dramatic power increases: P139, PV18, and an unnamed feature south of the main one that surged to ∼1 TW, placing all of them among the top 10 most powerful hot spots observed on Io. A temperature analysis of the features supports the simultaneous onset of these brightenings and suggests a single eruptive event propagating beneath the surface across hundreds of kilometers; this is the first time this has been observed on Io. This in turn would imply a connection among the hotspots' magma reservoirs, while other nearby hotspots that have been known to be active in the recent past, such as Kurdalagon Patera, appear unaffected. The simultaneity supports models of massive, interconnected magma reservoirs. The topology of these regional magma systems may resemble that of a large‐scale sponge, in which the massive reservoirs are the pores, interconnected through a largely solid outer shell.
DOI: 10.1029/2025je009047
Institutions: Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, National Institute for Astrophysics, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, Southwest Research Institute, Stanford University, Brigham Young University, Cornell University, Washington University in St. Louis, Goddard Space Flight Center, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
Language: English
Topic: Astro and Planetary Science
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,070
OpenAlex ID: W7120213010