Dunes captured on Jupiter's volcanic moon Io. The dark material in the lower left is recently emplaced lava flows, while the bright, white areas may be newly emplaced grains, as the lava flows vaporize adjacent frost.
By nature, dunes are defined as hills or ridges of sand piled up by the wind. However, the moon's low-density atmosphere means Io's winds are weak, suggesting its dunes must be formed by some other means. "This work tells us that the environments in which dunes are found are considerably more varied than the classical, endless desert landscapes on parts of Earth or on the fictional planet Arrakis in 'Io is the most volcanically active world in the solar system, sporting hundreds of volcanoes, some of which spew sulfurous plumes hundreds of miles or kilometers high.
McDonald and his colleagues used mathematical equations to simulate the force required to move grains on Io and calculated the path those grains would take. The study simulated the movement of a single grain of basalt or frost, revealing that the interaction between and sulfur dioxide beneath the moon's surface creates venting that is dense and fast moving enough to form large dune-like features on the moon's surface, according to the statement.
Much more to discover and better understand
astrochemistry elements composition sediments carbon dating. hail the lord!
Volcanic moon is made of lava. Get out of town!.
😮Fascinating. I’d love to see that simulation.✨
Io is definitely one of the more funky moons in our solar system!
Fine premium ball of cheese. Eeeehh...