{"id":495783,"date":"2026-05-21T12:47:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T12:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/495783\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T12:47:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T12:47:14","slug":"ice-volcanoes-on-ganymede-new-promising-candidates-found","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/495783\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice volcanoes on Ganymede? New promising candidates found"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ganymede-Juno-June-7-2021.jpg\" alt=\"Ice volcanoes on Ganymede: Cratered, moon-like dark and light gray sphere with one large, bright white crater with rays.\" width=\"800\" height=\"633\" class=\"size-full wp-image-456585\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/d2pn8kiwq2w21t.cloudfront.net\/images\/jpegPIA25028.width-1600.jpg\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">View larger<\/a>. | Jupiter\u2019s moon <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ganymede_(moon)\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Ganymede<\/a> is the largest moon in our solar system. Are there <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cryovolcano\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ice volcanoes<\/a> on Ganymede? It\u2019s possible, and now a new study has identified several good candidates. NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/juno\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Juno<\/a> spacecraft captured this view of Ganymede on June 7, 2021. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/images\/pia25028-enhanced-ganymede-enhanced-image\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">NASA<\/a>\/ JPL-Caltech\/ SwRI\/ MSSS\/ Kalleheikki Kannisto.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ganymede is Jupiter\u2019s largest moon.<\/strong> It has a deep ocean beneath its outer icy surface. Does it also have ice volcanoes?<\/li>\n<li><strong>A new international study<\/strong> has identified several good candidates on Ganymede\u2019s frozen surface.<\/li>\n<li><strong>These are depressions in the surface<\/strong> surrounded by flow-like formations, where water could have erupted to the surface from below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/subscribe.earthsky.org\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>You deserve a daily dose of good news.<\/strong> For the latest in science and the night sky, click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Possible ice volcanoes on Ganymede<\/p>\n<p>Does Jupiter\u2019s largest moon Ganymede have <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cryovolcano\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">ice volcanoes<\/a>? We don\u2019t know for sure yet, but a new international study has identified some promising candidates.<\/p>\n<p>Ganymede has a deep ocean hidden beneath its icy crust. That\u2019s led scientists to speculate it could have ice volcanoes similar to the explosive geysers on Saturn\u2019s ocean moon <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/enceladus-ocean-organics-cassini-astrobiology\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Enceladus<\/a>. And on May 9, 2026, researchers <a href=\"https:\/\/hsc.gov.gr\/en\/study-identifies-candidate-cryovolcanic-regions-on-ganymede-for-esas-juice-mission\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a> they have identified four primary locations where water and other volatile materials might have erupted to Ganymede\u2019s surface. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hsc.gov.gr\/en\/scientific-staff\/anezina-solomonidou\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Anezina Solomonidou<\/a> at the Hellenic Space Center (HSC) in Greece led the new study. The study also includes researchers from France, Italy, Germany, the United States, the Czech Republic, ESA and NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.<\/p>\n<p>The new <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.aas.org\/psj-policies\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">peer-reviewed<\/a> paper is accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journal.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Musa-Patera-Ganymede-Galileo-May-7-1997.jpg\" alt=\"Gray landscape seen from above, with an oblong depression, craters and linear grooves.\" width=\"800\" height=\"544\" class=\"size-full wp-image-546303\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Musa_Patera\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Musa Patera<\/a>, a depression on Ganymede some 43 miles (69 km) across. Scientists think it could have been left by an erupting ice volcano. NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/galileo\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Galileo<\/a> spacecraft captured this view on May 7, 1997. Image via NASA\/ JPL\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Musa_Patera#\/media\/File:PIA01614_Musa_Patera.jpg\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Wikipedia<\/a>.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ganymede-Juno-Kevin-Gill-June-7-2021.jpeg\" alt=\"Moon-like gray body with rayed crater and bright and dark patches.\" width=\"800\" height=\"508\" class=\"size-full wp-image-363400\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/E3c270ZVUAcjQhJ?format=jpg&amp;name=4096x4096\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">View larger<\/a>. | Another view of Jupiter\u2019s largest moon Ganymede, from the Juno flyby on June 7, 2021. Image via NASA\/ JPL-Caltech\/ SwRI\/ MSSS; image processing by <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NASASolarSystem\/status\/1402672483438784517?s=20\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin M. Gill<\/a>.<br \/>\nMost promising locations for ice volcanoes<\/p>\n<p>Ganymede has unusual depressions \u2013 called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/images\/pia25721-juno-zooms-in-on-jupiters-moon-ganymede\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">paterae<\/a> \u2013 and flow-like structures on its surface. Could upwelling water have formed them?<\/p>\n<p>It certainly seems possible, since Ganymede has a deep, dark ocean beneath its outer icy crust. But it depends on whether the water could get through the crust in cracks or by other means. Scientists estimate Ganymede\u2019s crust to be about 90-95 miles (145-153 km) thick. And they estimate the ocean below to be 60 miles (96 km) deep.<\/p>\n<p>Intriguingly, the flow-like structures would have been formed by flowing icy watery material. And the paterae depressions would have been the volcanic vents. It\u2019s similar to regular volcanism, but involving icy fluids rather than molten rock.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Enceladus-plumes-Cassini-2009.jpg\" alt=\"Sunlit edge of planet-like body, with geyser-like jets of vapor erupting upward against a black background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-full wp-image-459730\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/psd\/solar\/2023\/09\/p\/i\/PIA11688-2.jpg?w=1580&amp;h=977&amp;fit=clip&amp;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">View larger<\/a>. | Saturn\u2019s ocean moon <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/enceladus-ocean-organics-cassini-astrobiology\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Enceladus<\/a> is famous for its geyser-like ice volcanoes. NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/cassini\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Cassini<\/a> spacecraft took this image on November 21, 2009. Does Ganymede have ice volcanoes too? Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/resource\/bursting-at-the-seams\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">NASA<\/a>\/ JPL-Caltech\/ Space Science Institute.<br \/>\nImplications for life<\/p>\n<p>If there were \u2013 or perhaps still are \u2013 active ice volcanoes on Ganymede, that could provide clues about the conditions in the ocean below. And those conditions could determine whether Ganymede\u2019s ocean might be habitable or not.<\/p>\n<p>Solomonidou <a href=\"https:\/\/hsc.gov.gr\/en\/study-identifies-candidate-cryovolcanic-regions-on-ganymede-for-esas-juice-mission\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Ganymede is one of the most fascinating worlds in the solar system. Understanding possible cryovolcanic activity can help us better understand how ocean worlds evolve and whether they may host conditions suitable for life.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Anezina-Solomonidou-Hellenic-Space-Center.jpg\" alt=\"Young woman with long, curly dark-gold hair standing with her arms folded.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-546172\"  \/><a href=\"https:\/\/hsc.gov.gr\/en\/scientific-staff\/anezina-solomonidou\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Anezina Solomonidou<\/a> at the Hellenic Space Center in Greece led the new study about ice volcanoes on Ganymede. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/hsc.gov.gr\/en\/scientific-staff\/anezina-solomonidou\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Hellenic Space Center<\/a>.<br \/>\nFuture observations by JUICE<\/p>\n<p>The candidate ice volcanoes will be of great interest for the European Space Agency\u2019s upcoming Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (<a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/esas-juice-mission-explore-jupiters-icy-moons-ganymede\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">JUICE<\/a>) mission. JUICE was launched in 2023 and will arrive at Jupiter in 2031. It will focus on exploring the largest moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. JUICE will use its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dlr.de\/en\/research-and-transfer\/projects-and-missions\/juice\/the-majis-imaging-spectrometer\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">MAJIS<\/a> imaging spectrometer and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dlr.de\/en\/research-and-transfer\/projects-and-missions\/juice\/janus\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">JANUS<\/a> camera system to take a closer look at these potential ice volcanoes.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, scientists found that Ganymede is coated in <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/ganymede-salts-organics-juno\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">salts and organics<\/a>; and in 2021, they found <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/evidence-for-water-vapor-on-ganymede\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">water vapor<\/a> in Ganymede\u2019s thin atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Also in 2021, NASA released new <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/new-images-of-ganymede-from-juno-spacecraft\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">closeups of Ganymede<\/a> from its Juno spacecraft. Juno obtained the images on June 7, 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line: Are there ice volcanoes on Ganymede? A new international study reveals several good candidates on Jupiter\u2019s large ocean moon.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hsc.gov.gr\/en\/study-identifies-candidate-cryovolcanic-regions-on-ganymede-for-esas-juice-mission\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Via Hellenic Space Center<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/ganymede-salts-organics-juno\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Read more: Jupiter\u2019s moon Ganymede is coated in salts and organics<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/jupiters-large-moons-saturn-magnetic-fields\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Read more: Why do Jupiter\u2019s large moons outnumber Saturn\u2019s?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    Paul Scott Anderson<br \/>\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/author\/paul-scott-anderson\/\" class=\"post-author-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">View Articles<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    About the Author:<\/p>\n<p>Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagan\u2019s Cosmos. He studied English, writing, art and computer\/publication design in high school and college. He later started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was later renamed Planetaria. He also later started the blog Fermi Paradoxica, about the search for life elsewhere in the universe.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nWhile interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science and SETI. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis with Universe Today. He has also written for SpaceFlight Insider and AmericaSpace and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly. He also did some supplementary writing for the iOS app Exoplanet.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nHe has been writing for EarthSky since 2018, and also assists with proofing and social media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"View larger. | Jupiter\u2019s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. Are there ice volcanoes&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":495784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[77],"tags":[18,215978,19,17,18925,2663,133,451],"class_list":["post-495783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-eire","tag-ice-volcanoes-on-ganymede","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-juice","tag-jupiter","tag-science","tag-space"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116612644935336373","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=495783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}