Modeling Volcanic Processes
Remote Sensing
Terrestrial and Planetary Volcanology
Research Summary
My research has focused on the emplacement and evolution of volcanic processes on Earth and other planetary bodies (i.e., Venus and Mars) using comparative planetology, remote sensing, and numerical modeling.
Volcanoes are a critical geologic process for shaping planetary surfaces, and we are entering one of the most consequential decades ever for studying them. A new generation of Earth-observing satellites, from both commercial companies and governments, are transforming how we can detect and forecast eruptions. NASA and ESA have selected three missions to Venus (VERITAS, DAVINCI, and EnVision), DragonFly is on its way to Titan and its potential cryovolcanism, and Europa Clipper will search for cryovolcanic activity at Europa. For the first time we can ask, and begin to answer, the same fundamental questions across many worlds: What environmental factors control how lava is emplaced on Earth and in environments as extreme as the Venusian surface? How can we leverage the available satellite resources and modeling to accurately and reliably predict eruptions and the areas affected by volcanic flows? What new insight from Earth observations of volcanic process can we extrapolate to answer questions about other planets’ interior, atmosphere, and habitability?
Photos by Ian Flynn.
