Far from the sun? Check. No tectonic plates? Check. Crazy active volcanoes? Also, check.
Credit NASA/JPL
Io - Jupiter's small, yellow moon - is covered with fiery mountains which create massive plumes that rise high above its surface. Despite its distance from solar heat (778 million kilometers, to be exact), Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system.
In this episode, Caitlin Ahrens explains how Io's proximity to Jupiter and a "magma ocean" could explain the moon's misplaced volcanoes.
Scratching the Surface airs Fridays at 2:04 pm. For more on the Center for Space and Planetary Science, visit spacecenter.uark.edu/