Why does Io exhibit remarkably few large impact craters on its surface?
Answer
Fresh lava flows quickly cover any features that land on the surface
Io's surface is subject to constant resurfacing due to its status as the most violently geologically active body in the Solar System. This extreme activity, powered by tidal heating, results in hundreds of active volcanoes producing continuous lava flows. Consequently, any impact event that occurs on the surface is rapidly covered and erased by these fresh flows of sulfurous deposits and lava, meaning features that would normally form large impact craters do not persist for long geological timescales.
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