Planetary Science

The geophysical processes I study on Earth — volcanic eruptions, sediment transport, and mass flows — also operate on other worlds. Despite evidence for the presence of sediment on Titan's surface, its shorelines show little evidence for delta formations. Currently, I'm modelling mixing conditions between methane rivers and methane-ethane-nitrogen seas on Titan with scaled analog experiments on saline gravity currents. I use the experiment datasets to validate numerical models that can then be scaled to Titan's surface conditions to investigate multiphase processes that are not captured by experiments.

Methods & data

I scale terrestrial fluid-mechanical theories to planetary conditions using dimensional analysis, combined with remote sensing data from spacecraft missions (Cassini, Curiosity, Juno) to test model predictions against observed landforms.