Praxis Earth And Space Sciences Content Knowledge (5571 5572) Practice Test

Io is a moon of which planet that exhibits active volcanism?

Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune

Correct Answer:

Jupiter

Explanation:

Active volcanism on a moon comes from strong tidal heating, where a planet’s gravity flexes the moon as it orbits. Io, a moon that glides close to Jupiter and is pulled by orbital resonances with Europa and Ganymede, experiences intense tidal flexing. This heat melts interior rock and fuels hundreds of active volcanoes, with plumes that shoot sulfur compounds into space. That combination of a moon with lava eruptions and the planet it orbits points to Jupiter as the planet in question. The other planets don’t have moons with this level of lava volcanism, even though some moons show geysers or cryovolcanism, they aren’t the same dominant example as Io around Jupiter.

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