![](/sites/default/files/styles/az_full_width_bg_extra_small/public/research/planetary_surfaces_2019.jpg?itok=iqyUgKV5)
Planetary Surfaces
About
Planetary surfaces are influenced by their interior processes (e.g. volcanoes), exterior effects (e.g. impact cratering) and their atmospheres (e.g. wind and rain) and so can be incredibly informative when it comes to figuring out a planet’s history. The decade from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s saw the exploration of much of the inner solar system with the photography of surfaces of the Moon (including its unseen far-side), Mercury and Mars. LPL’s previous work on telescopic mapping of the lunar surface had left it well prepared to play leading roles in most of these missions and the interpretation of the data they returned. In the following decades, LPL continued contributing to the study of planetary surfaces around the solar system with cameras aboard the Mars Pathfinder mission, the Huygens lander on Saturn’s moon Titan and the operation of the Phoenix lander on Mars. The study of these surfaces has also grown in sophistication and now includes analysis of surface composition from remote spacecraft as well as analysis of returned samples here in the laboratory.
Today at Mars, LPL is operating the HiRISE camera aboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which takes higher resolution images than any camera to fly on a planetary mission. LPL was home to the VIMS instrument on the Cassini spacecraft, which took images in hundreds of different colors to allow the composition of the target to be determined. LPL faculty also have ongoing involvement in numerous other instruments and missions investigating planetary surfaces.
Planetary Surfaces Group Meetings
Terrestrial And Planetary Investigations and Reconnaissance (TAPIR)
TAPIR research themes include debris-covered glaciers, terrestrial glaciers and ice sheets, Mars polar studies, and geophysical instrumentation techniques.
Faculty
Planetary Surfaces Faculty
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Andrews-Hanna_lg_082021_0.jpg?itok=uEW1tYco)
Jeffrey Andrews-Hanna
Associate Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/201808016-Asphaug-Erik-12.jpg?h=e1388901&itok=lKOYWk68)
Erik Asphaug
Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Bray_Veronica_042024.jpg?h=9b33fd8b&itok=6108A26b)
Veronica Bray
Associate Research Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/Byrne.jpg?h=dd9d22fa&itok=gIDav1bN)
Shane Byrne
Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Carter_Lynn_2021.jpg?h=fdcfd0ca&itok=1ZQbbEG-)
Lynn Carter
Associate Professor, University Distinguished Scholar
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/DellaGiustina_Dani_022023_1.jpg?h=d3dd67a0&itok=xqcxWez9)
Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina
Assistant Professor, Deputy Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-REx, Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-APEX
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/Griffith.jpg?h=51448e66&itok=UeS9VRTH)
Caitlin Griffith
Professor Emeritus
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Ginny_Gulick_med_0.jpg?h=e6bd8282&itok=1d973tCy)
Virginia Gulick
Research Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/Hamilton_2018_web.jpg?itok=YFk2RZsw)
Christopher Hamilton
Associate Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/Holt_0_1.jpg?itok=au8duENJ)
Jack Holt
Professor, EDO Director
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/McEwen_2022_lg_0.jpg?h=1947fb52&itok=EYVCRNn2)
Alfred McEwen
Regents Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Reddy_Vishnu_072021_LT.jpg?h=971b302b&itok=sNURfc8J)
Vishnu Reddy
Professor
Other Researchers
Planetary Surfaces Researchers
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Aguilar%20Roberto%202024%20web.jpg?h=8c6a833f&itok=GB86UlAt)
Roberto Aguilar
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Baijal_Namya_052023.jpg?h=96a02fef&itok=x3ctYGlZ)
Namya Baijal
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Carr_Brett_2022.jpeg?h=f453134e&itok=Bn4J0D4m)
Brett Carr
Researcher/Scientist
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Chandra_Rishi_4667_052023_web_0.jpg?h=c180f985&itok=qWdTY_0b)
Rishi Chandra
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/Chojnacki_8857.jpg?h=6189ba6d&itok=TERfnvdg)
Matthew Chojnacki
DCC Associate Research (McEwen)
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Cook_Claire_6498_1.jpg?h=c292271a&itok=4vte2qe4)
Claire Cook
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Daniel_Michael_2021_0.jpg?h=d95feb3a&itok=gqMD0sGU)
Michael Daniel
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Denton_Adeene_10042022.jpg?h=ab06842b&itok=-kR7zWv8)
Adeene Denton
Postdoctoral Research Associate
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Fulford_Ruby_4502_2023.jpg?h=58f19b51&itok=LFPMa2fm)
Ruby Fulford
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Gowman_Gabe_4623_052023_web_0.jpg?h=8d1a594a&itok=BoBxklpe)
Gabriel Gowman
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Hadland_3988_web_0.jpg?h=80c32c6c&itok=uoyY8TXr)
Nathan Hadland
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Hon_Orion_4635_052023_web_1.jpg?h=2ee5ec7f&itok=DdI8JqmP)
Orion Hon
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Huang_Rowan_4646_052023_web_1.jpg?h=2f6a302b&itok=Qhu-_mwX)
Rowan Huang
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Jacobo_Roc%C3%ADo_2021.jpg?h=388f10e6&itok=h0jU_8oa)
Rocio Jacobo Bojorquez
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/Karkoschka_Erich%20_6051-board.jpg?h=343fd261&itok=a_2_rsUg)
Erich Karkoschka
Research Scientist/Senior Staff Scientist
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Kim_Euibin_web.jpg?h=f1ed33a3&itok=ARLXtIYx)
Euibin Kim
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/McFadden_2019_v2.jpg?h=b2ddd814&itok=_lUSsXxV)
Kiana McFadden
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/McKenna_Thea_web.jpg?h=beaac9fd&itok=aW6fFOjJ)
Thea McKenna
PTYS Graduate Student
Cole Meyer
PTYS Graduate Student
Mackenzie Mills
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Moruzzi%20Samantha%202024.jpg?h=8c2e3fd0&itok=Hzxv-SQZ)
Samantha Moruzzi
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Nerozzi_Stefano_web3.jpg?h=1074d9e2&itok=1nvP3OV7)
Stefano Nerozzi
Postdoctoral Research Associate
![](/sites/default/files/people/nophoto.png)
Michael Phillips
Researcher/Scientist
Andrew Ryan
Researcher/Scientist, OSIRIS-REx
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/SchwartzS_web.jpg?itok=93rwMQgI)
Stephen Schwartz
DCC Associate Staff Scientist (Asphaug)
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Singh_Christina_web.jpg?h=f3cf6b43&itok=wK_NnGhx)
Christina Singh
Image Analyst, PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/people/Sutton_3580.jpg?h=056031b7&itok=r7t6jQwI)
Sarah Sutton
Photogrammetry Program Lead, HiRISE, Researcher/Scientist
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Tang_Harry_4806_052023_web.jpg?h=f2736532&itok=QlKSzTth)
Harry Tang
PTYS Graduate Student
![](/sites/default/files/people/nophoto.png)
Wesley Tucker
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Robin Van Auken
PTYS Graduate Student
Support Staff
Planetary Surfaces Support Staff
![](/sites/default/files/styles/person_directory/public/images/people/Thibodeaux-Yost_newweb.jpg?h=9c7eda84&itok=3AzPS85L)
Singleton Papendick
Science Operations Engineer, HiRISE