What is the composition of Io's surface, making it fundamentally different from moons like Europa?
Answer
Hot volcanic rock and sulfur compounds
Io is completely devoid of surface water ice; its surface is composed of hot volcanic rock and sulfur compounds, whereas Europa possesses a water ice shell.
Related Questions
What is the primary mechanism causing the intense internal heating on Jupiter's moon Io?What materials are ejected hundreds of kilometers high in Io's massive volcanic plumes?How often is Io's entire surface estimated to undergo resurfacing due to volcanism?What is the main heat source responsible for driving Earth's internal geology, according to the comparison with Io?What geological phenomenon defines the activity observed on icy satellites like Enceladus, in contrast to Io?What is a key surface feature of Io that is virtually absent due to its intense geological processes?Io is locked in a gravitational resonance orbit with which two other large Jovian moons?What is the composition of Io's surface, making it fundamentally different from moons like Europa?How long is Io's high level of volcanic activity estimated to have been sustained based on geological evidence?How does Io's energy budget, supported by tidal heating, compare to Europa's?