Solar System

In fact, having volcanic activity (volcanism) on planets is quite common. Here are four worlds which boast active volcanoes, from Mars to the far flung reaches ...

[Gareth Dorrian](https://theconversation.com/profiles/gareth-dorrian-206088), Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Space Science, [University of Birmingham](https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-birmingham-1138) [flew past](https://theconversation.com/stunning-crystal-clear-images-of-pluto-but-what-do-they-mean-47517) the ice dwarf, and its moon Charon, in 2015. [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. One of the most interesting discoveries of this mission was the volcano [Ahuna Mons](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaf4286). The absence of recent meteorite impact craters on this feature strongly suggest that it is young, geologically speaking. Hence, Io frequently lines up with one of these other moons and is stretched by the powerful gravity of Jupiter in one direction and the aligned gravitational fields of the outer moons in the other. It orbits the Sun once every 247 years and the heat from the Sun at this distance is so feeble that Pluto’s average surface temperature is a frosty -230°C. This continuous flexing releases large amounts of heat, which helps to keep the interior of Io molten and drive volcanism on its surface. It was discovered by Galileo in 1610 and is about the same size as Earth’s Moon. But Venus is far from the only world beyond Earth to exhibit signs of volcanic activity. It is the only feature of its type on Ceres, and its flanks are covered with deposits of carbonate salts. Olympus Mons stands at approximately 26km above the surrounding terrain, is roughly twice as high as Mount Everest, and is topped by a volcanic caldera some 70km across.