PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 7, Number 34 (August 4, 2013) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Melissa Lane Co-Editors: Susan Benecchi, Mark V. Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o-------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTS---------------------------o 1. GSA Session T192: Volcanic/Tectonic Processes and Their Interactions on Rocky Planets and Moons 2. AGU Session P005 - Destination: Europa 3. AGU Session P011 - Gale Crater, Mars: Comparing Geochemistry and Geomorphology from Remote Sensing, in situ Measurements, Laboratory Data, and Terrestrial Analogs 4. AGU Session P016 - Impact Cratering: Terrestrial Observations and Planetary Applications 5. AGU Session P030 - Thermal Modeling of Terrestrial and Planetary Bodies 6. Io Workshop 2013: Coordination for the EXCEED Mission 7. Planetary Science Slides and Illustrations 8. Venus Express VIRTIS and VMC Data Workshop 9. Postdoctoral Researcher in Planetary Mapping and Impact Studies: Lunar and Planetary Institute 10. NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships 11. Target NEO 2 Workshop Presentations and Executive Summary Available 12. NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group Findings Available 13. Planetary Meeting Calendar Additions o---------------------------------------------------------------------o 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 GSA SESSION T192 - VOLCANIC/TECTONIC PROCESSES AND THEIR INTERACTIONS ON ROCKY PLANETS AND MOONS We invite submissions to this oral session at the GSA Annual Meeting, 27-30 October, 2013, in Denver, Colorado (abstract submission deadline Aug. 6th). Abstract submission guidelines can be found at: http://community.geosociety.org/2013AnnualMeeting/Sessions The surfaces of the rocky planets and moons have been extensively shaped and modified by both tectonic and volcanic processes. In many instances, these processes have been contemporaneous and interactive, highlighting the importance of magmatic processes for driving tectonic deformation in the absence of plate tectonics. In turn, magmatically driven tectonic features provide conduits for the release of magmatic fluids, melted cryosphere, and volatiles, particularly on Mars. We encourage abstract submissions related to the description, mapping, and modeling of volcanic and tectonic features on rocky solar system bodies, including terrestrial analogs for planetary processes, with emphasis on volcanic/tectonic interaction and its relevance for the structural and geomorphological evolution of the rocky planets and moons. Conveners: Simon A. Kattenhorn (University of Idaho) - simkat@uidaho.edu Danielle Wyrick (Southwest Research Institute) - danielle.wyrick@swri.org 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2 AGU SESSION P005 - DESTINATION: EUROPA With the flurry of activity surrounding the Europa Clipper mission and promising support from Congress and the public, we invite you to participate in an exciting session at AGU. We seek to raise the level of discussion about Europa, encourage new hypotheses and to integrate geology, geophysics and astrobiology to motivate new Europa science and get the community excited about future exploration of this exciting moon. Europa is one of the most compelling bodies in the search for life. Given growing support for a new Europa mission such as Europa Clipper, this session will present perspectives from a wide range of geological, geophysical and ultimately astrobiological backgrounds that are forward-looking to what questions the next Europa mission could answer. We invite presentations that present cross-cutting themes related to the physical nature of Europa and its habitability. We encourage presenters to utilize new or existing data, compelling terrestrial analogs, and theoretical models to advance new hypotheses or revisit and refresh the state-of-the-art in Europa science, and address how these ideas relate to future Europa exploration. Abstracts are due August 6. For more information: https://fallmeeting.agu.org/2013/scientific-program /session-search/sessions/p005-destination-europa/ Britney Schmidt (britneys@ig.utexas.edu) Alyssa Rhoden Cynthia Phillips Paul Hayne 3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 AGU SESSION P011 - GALE CRATER, MARS: COMPARING GEOCHEMISTRY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY FROM REMOTE SENSING, IN SITU MEASUREMENTS, LABORATORY DATA, AND TERRESTRIAL ANALOGS This session will focus on understanding the geologic context of Gale crater through remote sensing, in situ measurements, laboratory data, and terrestrial analogs with the goal of integrating newly acquired, ground-truth discoveries by the Curiosity rover into our current understanding of the region. Studies of the regional and local stratigraphy, geomorphology, and geochemistry are encouraged. Specific terrestrial and/or martian examples include (but are not limited to) distal alluvial fan deposits, clay-bearing mineral phases, and rock surface alteration as indicators of past depositional environments and the presence of water. AGU Abstract Deadline: August 6th, 2013 http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2013/ Conveners: Craig Hardgrove (University of Tennessee) Nina Lanza (Los Alamos National Laboratory) 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4 AGU SESSION P016 - IMPACT CRATERING: TERRESTRIAL OBSERVATIONS AND PLANETARY APPLICATIONS We invite the community to submit abstracts to this AGU Fall Meeting session focusing on impact cratering processes. The effects of impact cratering are observed on the surfaces of nearly every terrestrial body in the Solar System. This session will highlight field and remote sensing studies of impact craters on Earth and how these observations help us to understand syn- and post-impact cratering processes on other planets. These processes include, but are not limited to: effects of target material, ejecta emplacement, impact melt, post-impact hydrothermal systems, and astrobiological implications. Recent studies of cratering processes on other bodies such as Mercury, Vesta, Moon, Venus, and Mars with ties to Earth-based observations are also welcome. Conveners: Tanya Harrison and Gordon Osinski 5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5 AGU SESSION P030 - THERMAL MODELING OF TERRESTRIAL AND PLANETARY BODIES We are inviting you to submit an abstract to the above fall AGU session. We are excited to be convening this session, as it gives us an opportunity to share our science results and techniques with the broad thermal modeling community, rather than just our narrow sub-discipline. Our hope is that this session will foster communication and facilitate collaborations between sub-disciplines or those working on different planetary bodies. Thermal modeling techniques are used to understand a broad range of geologic and atmospheric problems on solid planetary bodies, including but not limited to Earth, Europa, Io, Mars, and Titan. Examples of such problems include the cooling of lava flows, volcano/geothermal monitoring, surface and near sub-surface physical properties, crater deformation, and ice-rock interactions. The techniques used to address thermal modeling-related questions are often applicable across many disciplines, datasets, and topics. By sharing scientific results and/or thermal modeling techniques and applications from a broad range of sub-disciplines, we will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and cooperation within the diverse thermal modeling community. Abstract Deadline: 6 August 2013 Conveners: Robin Fergason, rfergason@usgs.gov (USGS, Astrogeology Science Center) Greg Vaughan, gvaughan@usgs.gov (USGS, Astrogeology Science Center) 6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6 IO WORKSHOP 2013: COORDINATION FOR THE EXCEED MISSION Saturday 12th October, 2013 Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO This 1-day scientific meeting will be held in downtown Boulder after DPS Denver to discuss the latest research and developments in Io science since the 2012 Io Workshop. The Japanese EUV Sprint-A/EXCEED mission will launch in August 2013 to observe the Jovian aurora and Io plasma torus for a number of months. This workshop will focus on topics which might benefit from EXCEED data and coordinated observations at all wavelengths, though presentations on other aspects of Io science will be accepted if time allows. For more information and to register your interest, please go to: http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~con/ioworkshop2013 Organizers: Constantine Tsang, John Spencer, Fran Bagenal, Rosaly Lopes Contact Email: con@boulder.swri.edu 7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7 PLANETARY SCIENCE SLIDES AND ILLUSTRATIONS Are you looking for some great slides or illustrations to use in your presentations? The Planetary Science Research Discoveries website has sets of Powerpoint slides. These are summaries of PSRD articles covering the origin of solar systems and the processes by which planets, moons, and small bodies form and evolve. The slides are annotated with captions and notes, and are linked to PSRD articles that provide the full context, additional graphics, and references. http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Archive/Archive-PSRDpresents.html The Cosmochemistry Illustrated website offers Powerpoint slides with planetary examples to enrich any geochemistry, petrology, and introductory geology lecture. References and background are given in the notes pages. http://www.higp.hawaii.edu/cosmoeye/ 8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8 VENUS EXPRESS VIRTIS AND VMC DATA WORKSHOP ESA is pleased to announce a Venus Express VIRTIS and VMC Data Workshop that will be held at ESAC (Madrid, Spain) on 21-24 October 2013. The overall goal of the workshop is to introduce users to the Planetary Science Archive (http://archives.esac.esa.int/psa) on which data from ESA planetary missions are archived. This workshop will focus on the VIRTIS (Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer) and VMC (Venus Monitoring Camera) instruments of the Venus Express orbiter. Scientific and technical lectures will be provided, as well as hands-on data processing exercises, with expert members of the VIRTIS and VMC instrument teams providing direct support on the best ways in which to calibrate and use their data for science. Deadline for registration is August 31st, 2013. In order to ensure the right level of interaction, participation will be restricted to a limited number of participants (20). Preference will be given to PhD students and post-docs. No charge is made for participation in the workshop, but no support for travel and subsistence costs will be provided by ESA. For more details, visit the workshop's web page: http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=PSA&page=vex_workshop E-mail: vex-workshop@sciops.esa.int 9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN PLANETARY MAPPING AND IMPACT STUDIES: LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE Universities Space Research Association (USRA) invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in planetary science in Houston, Texas. The candidate will work with Dr. Paul Schenk, investigating the impact crater shapes and distributions on icy satellites, including Enceladus, using the entire Cassini image library, and supplementary stereo and shape-from-shading techniques (although experience in these tools is not required). The candidate will also be expected to develop their own research projects using this data. Candidate must have a recent Ph.D. in geology or geophysics and have a strong background in remote sensing/image processing of spacecraft data, and preferably experience in geophysical or mapping investigations. The position is generally for two years, with a possible extension to three years. Apply to the posting at: https://usracareers.silkroad.com/ Include a letter of interest, a curriculum vita with a list of publications, a brief statement of research interests, and a list of three references. Review of candidates began August 1, 2013, with a hiring decision, as soon as possible thereafter. Information on current research and facilities at the LPI is found on our website: http://www.lpi.usra.edu The Universities Space Research Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10 NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) provides opportunities for scientists and engineers to conduct research largely of their own choosing, yet compatible with the research opportunities posted on the NPP Web site. Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA’s missions in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and space operations, and astrobiology. An example of one of the research opportunities in planetary science is: https://www3.orau.gov/NPDoc/Catalog/17808 Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. U. S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply. Stipends start at $53,500 per year, with supplements for high cost-of- living areas and for certain academic specialties. Financial assistance is available for relocation and health insurance, and $8,000 per year is provided for professional travel. Applications are accepted three times each year: March 1, July 1, and November 1. The latest NPP Newsletter: http://bit.ly/162yBSO For further information and to apply, visit: http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm Questions: nasapostdoc@orau.org 11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11 TARGET NEO 2 WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AVAILABLE The Target NEO 2 Workshop was held July 9, 2013, in Washington DC, to identify and discuss technical challenes involved and new capabilities needed for the proposed Asteroid Redirect and Return Mission (ARRM). Presentations and the Executive Summary are now available at: http://targetneo.jhuapl.edu/ 12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12 NASA SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP FINDINGS AVAILABLE The 9th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group was held in Washington DC, July 10-11, 2013. Findings from that meeting, including a number of findings pertaining to the Asteroid Redirect and Return Mission (ARRM) have now been posted at: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/findings/ 13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13-13 PLANETARY MEETING CALENDAR ADDITIONS Posted at http://planetarynews.org/meetings.html October 12, 2013 Io Workshop 2013 http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~con/ioworkshop2013/Home.html Boulder, CO October 21-24, 2013 Venus Express VIRTIS and VMC Data Workshop http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=PSA&page=vex_workshop Madrid, Spain January 10, 2014 Ionising Processes in Atmospheric Environments of Planets, Brown Dwarfs, and M-Dwarfs http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~ch80/RAS_Meeting_2013__Ionisation_ Processes/Welcome.html London, United Kingdom September 8-12, 2014 Living Together: Planets, Stellar Binaries and Stars with Planets http://astro.physics.muni.cz/kopal2014/ Litomysl, Czech Republic [Editor Note: If there is a planetary-related meeting, conference or workshop of which you think your colleagues should be aware, please send the date, title, URL and location to pen_editor at psi.edu.] *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at http://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.php, or * send a request to pen_editor at psi.edu * * To unsubscribe, send an email to pen_editor at psi.edu * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor at psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. 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