For my master’s research, I mapped structures and geologic units seen in the Alpha Regio tessera on Venus using radar remote sensing datasets. The main objective of my thesis was to produce a full-resolution Magellan (~100 m) geologic map of the target descent site for the DAVINCI mission. Structural features are mapped as ridges, troughs, grabens, or lineaments. The orientation and spacing of these structures, along with radar backscatter properties, elevation, and morphological patterns are used to map out geologic contacts and define morphotectonic units.
This map will help correlate images taken by the Venus Descent Imager (VenDI) camera to the correct location on the planet during and after the probe’s descent, providing a clearer understanding of the geologic history of the tessera.
I also applied a simple extension model of lunar graben to two mapped sets of graben in the region to estimate the thickness of the Alpha Regio tessera faulted layer at the times of their formation.
Associated Abstracts:
53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/2101.pdf
2022 Annual Meeting of Planetary Geologic Mappers: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/pgm2022/pdf/7033.pdf
20th Meeting of the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG): https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/vexagnovember2022/pdf/8025.pdf
American Geophysical Union Meeting Fall 2022: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1175803
54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2023/pdf/2846.pdf
