Best Planetary Geology
Updated Daily
Perseverance is a NASA Mars rover designed to search for signs of ancient microbial life and collect samples for potential return to Earth. Its advanced robotic arm, sophisticated analytical instruments, and autonomous navigation capabilities allow it to explore the Jezero Crater, a region believed...
James Head is a modern American astronomer specializing in planetary geology. His research focuses on understanding the geological processes shaping surfaces of planets and moons, particularly those associated with past volcanic and glacial activity. He’s notable for his detailed analysis of Apollo...
Lindy Elkins-Tanton is a planetary geologist who is the principal investigator of NASA's Psyche mission, a spacecraft launched in 2023 to orbit the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche. She has held leadership roles at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration. Her research examines...
Grove Karl Gilbert (1839-1912) was an American geologist instrumental in developing geomorphology and understanding landform processes. His detailed surveys of features like the Henry Mountains significantly advanced geological science. He established fundamental principles regarding stream dynamics...
Harry McSween is an American planetary geologist and meteoriticist at the University of Tennessee. He is known for his extensive research on Martian and lunar meteorites, as well as the broader geology of Mars as a planetary body. His work integrates geochemical data from meteorites with data from p...
Sean C. Solomon is an American geophysicist and planetary scientist who has held prominent roles in academia and space exploration. He served as director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University from 2012 to 2020. Solomon was principal investigator for NASA's MESSENGER mission,...
Maria T. Zuber is an American geophysicist and the Vice President for Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her research focuses on planetary geology and geophysics, utilizing laser altimetry and gravity measurements to study the interior structures of planetary bodies. She se...
Susan Kieffer is an American geologist and geophysicist recognized for her research in fluid dynamics across various geological and planetary processes. She is known for her foundational work on the thermodynamics and mechanics of geysers, volcanic eruptions, and meteorite impacts. Kieffer notably m...
