Researchers have figured out how volcanoes change the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Io

Io is the most volcanically active moon in our solar system. There are more than 400 active

volcanoes that emit sulfur gases that, whenFreezing on the surface gives Io its yellow-white-orange-red color. Io has an atmosphere that can tell us about its volcanic activity and explain what is happening inside the Moon. 

Previously, scientists received direct images of the satelliteby the sun's rays, as well as as it passed through Jupiter's shadow. To distinguish between the different processes causing Io's atmosphere, a team of astronomers used ALMA to take images of the Moon as it entered and exited Jupiter's shadow.

Thanks to the resolution and sensitivity of ALMAthe researchers were able to examine plumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfur monoxide (SO). Based on the imagery, they estimate that active volcanoes produce about 30-50% of Io's atmosphere.

Some of the plumes did not contain anySO nor SO2: They consist mainly of potassium chloride. According to the researchers, this suggests that different volcanoes on Io are fed by magma reservoirs with different compositions. 

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