These is a drawing of the interior of Io.
Click on image for full size
NASA
Interior of Io
The diagram to the left shows the interior of Io, based on recent measurements by the Galileo spacecraft. It shows a large iron/sulphur core (the Earth's core is iron/nickel), overlain with a silicate rocky material. There is no ice present within Io.
When the Galileo spacecraft flew by Io it took measurements which showed that Io was separated into two layers, as shown in this picture.
The history of Io is one of continuous warming due to tidal forces, which results in extensive volcanic activity on the surface. The tidal forces cause Io to warm up the same way a coat hanger, folded back and forth will cause coat hanger to warm.
As shown in the figure, possible pools of melted, liquid sulphur, encounter the hot pockets of Io's interior and boil, providing Io with geysers on the surface.
You might also be interested in:
Differentiation is a scientific term which really means "to separate". In their earliest history, elements which made the planets would part into separate regions, if the planet were warm enough. This
...moreThe force of gravity caused by an object gets weaker as you move farther away from that object. In this picture, the Earth is pulling on the Moon, and the Moon is pulling on the Earth. The Moon pulls more
...moreThe Galileo spacecraft was launched on October 19, 1989. Galileo had two parts: an orbiter and a descent probe that parachuted into Jupiter's atmosphere. Galileo's main mission was to explore Jupiter and
...moreThe Galileo spacecraft has finally reached the end of its road. Galileo has been orbiting Jupiter since 1995. On September 21, 2003, Galileo will dive into Jupiter's atmosphere and burn up. This crash
...moreAmalthea was discovered by E Barnard in 1872. Of the 17 moons it is the 3rd closest to Jupiter, with a standoff distance of 181,300 km. Amalthea is about the size of a county or small state, and is just
...moreCallisto was first discovered by Galileo in 1610, making it one of the Galilean Satellites. Of the 60 moons it is the 8th closest to Jupiter, with a standoff distance of 1,070,000 km. It is the 2nd largest
...moreThe insides of most of the moons and planets separated while they were forming out of the primitive solar nebula. Measurements by the Galileo spacecraft have been shown that Callisto is the same inside
...more