Tvashtar Paterae

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Tvashtar Paterae. The lava curtain erupted from the small patera in the centre of the image, and the lava lake from the larger one above it.

Tvashtar Paterae is a volcanic region of Jupiter's moon Io. It is a series of paterae, or volcanic craters. It is named after Tvashtar, the Hindu god of blacksmiths. ^[1]

Tvashtar was studied by the Galileo spacecraft over several years. During this time, a 25km long, 1 to 2 km high curtain of lava was seen to erupt from one patera, a lake of lava erupted in the largest patera, and finally a plume of gas burst out, rising 385 km above the moon and blanketing areas as far away as 700 km.^[2]

[edit] References

1. ^ US Geological Planetary Nomenclature. Retrieved on July 20, 2006.
2. ^ University of Arizona Planetary Image Research Laboratory May 28, 2002 Report on Tvashtar Paterae. Retrieved on July 20, 2006.

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