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Which of the following can contribute to explaining why jovian moons are sometimes much more geologically active than terrestrial worlds of similar (or smaller) size?

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User Symbool
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1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

Jovian moons can be more geologically active than terrestrial worlds due to internal sources of heat, such as primordial heat or radioactive decay. Larger moons have a better chance of retaining internal heat, leading to increased geological activity. Exceptions to this rule include moons like Io, which is heated by tidal flexing from Jupiter.

Step-by-step explanation:

The geological activity on jovian moons can be explained by the presence of internal sources of heat. This heat can come from either primordial heat left over from the formation of the moon or from the decay of radioactive elements in its interior. Larger moons have a greater chance of retaining internal heat, which leads to more geological activity. However, there are exceptions to this rule, such as Jupiter's moon Io, which is heated by gravitational flexing from the tidal pull of Jupiter.

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User LJ Replica
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7.8k points
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