Tupan Patera

[4][5] Galileo acquired high-resolution color images and near-infrared spectra of Tupan Patera during an encounter on October 16, 2001.

This data revealed warm, dark silicate lava on the eastern and western sides of the patera floor with an "island" of bright, cool material in the middle.

This is indicative of short-chain sulfur being emitted from vents on the patera floor by recent volcanic activity.

Alternatively, the strand line may have been created from limited volcanic activity along the edge of the patera floor.

[7] A large eruption at Tupan was observed by astronomers using the 10-meter adaptive optics at the Keck Observatory on March 8, 2003.