Io’s Volcanic Activity from Time Domain Adaptive Optics Observations: 2013–2018

We present measurements of the near-infrared brightness of Io's hot spots derived from 2 to 5 μm imaging with adaptive optics on the Keck and Gemini N telescopes. The data were obtained on 271 nights between 2013 August and the end of 2018, and include nearly 1000 detections of over 75 unique hot spots. The 100 observations obtained between 2013 and 2015 have been previously published in de Kleer & de Pater the observations since the start of 2016 are presented here for the first time, and the analysis is updated to include the full five-year data set. These data provide insight into the global properties of Io's volcanism. Several new hot spots and bright eruptions have been detected, and the preference for bright eruptions to occur on Io's trailing hemisphere noted in the 2013–2015 data is strengthened by the larger data set and remains unexplained. The program overlapped in time with Sprint-A/EXCEED and Juno observations of the Jovian system, and correlations with transient phenomena seen in other components of the system have the potential to inform our understanding of the impact of Io's volcanism on Jupiter and its neutral/plasma environment