What powers Io's extreme geological activity, making it the most active body?
Answer
Relentless gravitational tug-of-war exerted by Jupiter, Europa, and Ganymede
Io's intense activity, characterized by hundreds of active volcanoes and sulfurous deposits, is explicitly stated to be powered not by internal radioactive decay, but by the immense forces generated through tidal heating. This mechanism results from the gravitational interaction, or stretching and squeezing, caused by Jupiter and its neighboring Galilean moons, Europa and Ganymede, which maintain Io in a resonant orbital pattern that ensures continuous flexing and heat generation over billions of years.
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