Ceres is a small dwarf planet in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. In this work, its interior density, interior temperature, crust thickness and crust density are modelled with the aim of determining possible formation mechanisms for the cryovolcanic bright spots on its surface. The results imply that Ceres has a muddy subsurface ocean from which the cryovolcanic material originates.

Of the four Galilean satellites the only one without ice is Io. While it is possible that Io never contained any ice the starting point of this research work is an icy Io. As present-day Io does not contain any ice, icy Io must have lost its ice through some sort of ice loss mechanism. In this work the assumed ice loss mechanism is geysers driven by tidal heating. Tidal dissipation of sufficient magnitude is able to melt part of an icy layer creating a subsurface ocean and is also able to crack the overlying icy shell. The subsurface ocean then acts as a reservoir from which water vapor molecules and icy grains accelerate upwards through the cracks and are erupted from the surface. Erupted material with a sufficient velocity is able to escape from icy Io resulting in ice loss.