Geological processes on the terrestrial planets: regolith, cratering, and history

我是行星科学领域公认的专家，特别是在行星风化层研究方面。 我的研究小组将风化层特性的实验室测量和使用遥感直接观察风化层、电磁波传播建模以及撞击坑群的统计分析相结合，以研究行星风化层科学中重要的开放性问题。 我们的目标是提高对风化层过程的认识，并提供对这些过程如何影响行星体更大规模地质演化的新水平的理解。****行星风化层提供了长达 45 亿年的太阳系事件记录，而这些记录在地球上基本上没有保存；特别是，它们包含各种规模的轰炸记录。 这一点很重要，因为可对太阳系内其他天体（例如月球）产生影响的物体也可撞击地球，因此 a) 代表潜在危险； b) 提供影响地球的事件记录，但陆地记录很少。 我的工作表明，风化层特性可用于限制这些物体在地质时期的传入通量及其对行星表面的影响。 ***我的研究计划围绕三个主要项目，以及构成 HQP 论文或部分论文的相关任务。 这些项目都集中在一个核心问题上：行星风化层的物理特性揭示了潜在的地质过程的哪些内容？ 每个项目都以独特的方式解决这个问题的一个方面，使用最先进的仪器、最新的行星任务数据和复杂的建模技术。 ****我目前参与了三项活跃的 NASA 行星任务（一项在轨，一项于 2016 年发射，一项于 2020 年发射），我的研究涉及新任务数据的生成、处理和分析，以及任务生命周期各个阶段的实验室测量、现场工作和建模。 我小组中目前的总部计划学员是这些任务科学团队的积极成员，并且有难得的机会在地面参与这些备受瞩目的国际任务。 他们不仅仅是公开可用的任务数据的用户，而且作为实验的完整参与者与任务的科学和工程团队进行互动。 除了这项工作将为他们提供的宝贵的学术和市场技能之外，他们作为这些国际 NASA 任务团队成员的经验将使 HQP 学员成为一个稀有的高技能工人阶层，准备满足加拿大未来对技术空间领域专业知识的需求。**

I am a recognized expert in the field of planetary science, notably in the study of planetary regoliths. My research group combines laboratory measurements of regolith properties and direct observation of regoliths using remote sensing, modeling of electromagnetic wave propagation, and statistical analyses of impact crater populations to investigate important open questions in planetary regolith science. Our goal is to advance the state of knowledge of regolith processes, and to provide new levels of understanding of the ways in which those processes bear on the larger-scale geological evolution of planetary bodies.****Planetary regoliths provide a 4.5 billion year long record of Solar System events largely not preserved on Earth; in particular, they contain records of bombardment at all scales. This is important because objects that are available to produce impacts on other bodies in the inner Solar System (e.g., the Moon) are also available to strike Earth, and therefore a) represent potential hazards; and b) provide a record of events affecting Earth for which the terrestrial record is sparse. My work has shown that regolith properties can be used to constrain both the incoming flux of these objects over geological time and their effects on planetary surfaces. ***My research program is centered around three major projects, with associated tasks that constitute HQP theses or parts of theses. These projects all focus on the central question: What do the physical properties of planetary regoliths reveal about the underlying geological processes? Each project addresses an aspect of this question in a unique way, using state of the art instrumentation, the most recent planetary mission data, and sophisticated modelling techniques. ****I am currently involved in three active NASA planetary missions (one in orbit, one launching in 2016, and one launching in 2020), and my research involves generation, processing, and analysis of new mission data, as well as laboratory measurements, field work, and modelling at all stages of the mission life cycle. Current HQP trainees in my group are active members of the science teams for these missions, and have a rare opportunity to participate in these high-profile international missions at the ground level. They are not simply users of publicly available mission data, but interact with the missions' science and engineering teams as full participants in the experiments. In addition to the invaluable set of academic and marketable skills that this work will provide them, their experience functioning as members of these international NASA mission teams will place HQP trainees in a rarified stratum of highly skilled workers, ready to meet Canada's future need for expertise in the technical space sector.**