"flow-dominated" eruptions are long-lived events that build up extensive, compound lava flows. the extent of these flows makes them a major terrain type on io. in this style of eruption, magma emerges onto the surface from vents on the floor of paterae, vents surrounding paterae, or from fissures on the plains, producing inflated, compound lava flows similar to those seen at kīlauea in hawaii. images from the "galileo" spacecraft revealed that many of io's major flows, like those at prometheus and amirani, are produced by the build-up of small breakouts of lava on top of older flows. flow-dominated eruptions differ from explosion-dominated eruptions by their longevity and their lower energy output per unit of time. lava erupts at a generally steady rate, and flow-dominated eruptions can last for years or decades.