We imagine a tide as a beach that is discovered or a port that is filled. On Io, near Jupiter, the deformation touches the solid surface. This volcanic moon undergoes the attraction of the giant planet while its neighbors also influence its orbit.
Interactions with Europe and Ganymede prevent Io’s journey from becoming perfectly circular. The distance to Jupiter varies, and the constraints change along the way. These deformations dissipate energy into the interior of the moon. They thus help to maintain a heat capable of feeding its volcanic activity.
NASA describes surface motions of up to 100 meters. It is not waves of lava everywhere at every moment, but a deformation of the body under the effect of tidal forces. The source of this incandescent landscape is therefore not only in the rock: part of its history is played out between several worlds in motion.
What we know
Tidal deformation, not global liquid wave; details of internal heating still studied.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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