This image shows the grooved terrain of Ganymede.
Click on image for full size
NASA

Grooves of Ganymede

Instead of icy-volcanism, the surface of Ganymede reveals a gradual surface deformation remeniscent of the crustal deformation of the Earth. In this case, crustal extension of the surface of Ganymede resulted in big blocks of the crust being pulled apart, as shown in this image. The pulling apart of blocks of crust is similar to the terrestrial process of rifting.

The lack of icy-volcanism, such as that found on Europa, probably stems from a lack of the kind of heating undergone by Europa. The existence of surface extension and deformation suggests that there has been some heating of Ganymede, nonetheless.


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