“A new analysis of data from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft has revealed that beneath the surface of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io is an “ocean” of molten or partially molten magma.

The finding, from a study published May 13 in the journal Science, is the first direct confirmation of such a magma layer on Io and explains why the moon is the most volcanic object known in the solar system. The research was conducted by scientists from UCLA, UC Santa Cruz and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.”

NASA’s Galileo Reveals Magma ‘Ocean’ Beneath Surface of Jupiter’s Moon

Throat of Fire

Molten lava streams from the cone of Tungurahua volcano on April 26. Tungurahua is one of eight active volcanoes in Ecuador. Less than 80 miles (130 kilometers) to the north, the active Cotopaxi volcano threatens more than a million people living in the Andes highlands.

Photograph by Soledad Contreras, European Pressphoto Agency