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Temperature, age and crust thickness distributions of Loki Patera on Io from Galileo NIMS data: Implications for resurfacing mechanism
Author(s) -
Davies Ashley Gerard
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl018371
Subject(s) - geology , lava , crust , caldera , volcano , ridge , galileo (satellite navigation) , seismology , impact crater , lava dome , petrology , geophysics , geodesy , paleontology , astrobiology , physics
A high‐spatial‐resolution, multi‐wavelength observation by the Galileo NIMS instrument has been analysed to determine the temperature and area distribution of a large portion of the ionian volcano Loki Patera. The temperatures of the cooler components from a two‐temperature fit to the data can be used to determine ages of the surface. The age of the floor along a profile across the floor of the caldera ranges from ∼10 to ∼80 days. This puts the start of the resurfacing in July/early August 2001, yielding a resurfacing rate of approximately 1 km/day, with the new lava spreading from the SW corner of the caldera in a NE direction. This rate is consistent with resurfacing by foundering of the crust on a lava lake. However, the temperature distribution may also result from the emplacement of flows. Implied crust thicknesses (derived using a lava cooling model) range from 2.6 to 0.9 m.