Deciphering Geodynamical Activity at Venusian Coronae Through High-Resolution Gravity Mapping
This project, funded by NASA’s Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) Discovery Data Analysis Program (DDAP), focuses on advancing our understanding of Venus’s geodynamic processes through sophisticated reanalysis of Magellan spacecraft radio tracking data. As the Principal Investigator, I will utilize high-performance computing resources to process and analyze large volumes of archival planetary mission data to generate an improved, high-resolution gravity field of Venus.
The computational work involves implementing specialized radio tracking data analysis techniques to investigate the formation and evolution of Venusian coronae—enigmatic quasi-circular surface structures that provide crucial insights into Venus’s interior dynamics. The project requires significant computational resources for: (1) processing and inverting large datasets of Magellan radio tracking observations using advanced orbit determination and gravity field estimation algorithms, (2) performing extensive statistical analyses and data quality assessments, and (3) implementing specialized regional gravity field enhancement techniques for targeted areas of interest.
The enhanced gravity field resolution will enable direct comparison with forward model predictions from 3D geodynamic simulations (to be run elsewhere), providing unprecedented constraints on subsurface density structures and dynamic processes beneath Venusian coronae. This research will contribute to resolving long-standing questions about Venus’s lithospheric properties and geodynamic evolution, supporting future Venus exploration missions and advancing our understanding of terrestrial planet evolution.
The project’s computational demands—including large-scale radio tracking data processing, advanced orbit determination algorithms, gravity field inversion techniques, and extensive statistical analysis—make HPC resources essential for successful completion of this NASA-funded investigation.