Prf David Rothery

STFC Planetary Science Consolidated grant - details to be entered here.

Mercury is a shrinking planet with a surface dominated by compressional tectonic landforms as first identified by Mariner 10 and then confirmed by MESSENGER. Extensional structures are present but thought to be much rarer, with almost all reported examples found exclusively restricted to smooth plains material within craters (Byrne et al., 2018). The only two reported examples of extensional structures contrary to the aforementioned setting are extensional grabens associated with lobate scarps; pristine back-scarp grabens associated with small lobate scarps (10s of kms in length and 10s of metres in relief) (Watters et al., 2016), and crestal grabens found on Calypso Rupes (381km in length and ~1km in relief) (Banks et al., 2015; Klimczak et al., 2019). These grabens form when thrusting produces a hanging wall anticline resulting in local tensional stresses along the anticlinal axis parallel or sub-parallel along the hinge zone. These tensional stresses cause antithetic faults to form, which in turn results in a drown-dropped fault block. This study identifies that extensional grabens found on compressional structures are much more common than previously recognised. These small-scale landforms (often less than 1km in width, 10s of km in length and likely 10s to 100s metres in depth) are not expected to survive 100s of millions of years due to continual regolith formation and impact gardening masking their signature (Byrne et al., 2018; Watters et al., 2016). Our discovery and documentation of potentially young extensional grabens may indicate that many of Mercury’s compressional structures have continued to move until geologically recent times. This work therefore may call into question absolute age estimates of tectonic features’ last movements using crater counting (Fegan et al., 2017; Galluzzi et al., 2019; Giacomini et al., 2020, 2015; Man et al., 2020) with all authors suggesting final movements taking place billions of years ago.

STFC studentship quota for those with core research activity in the areas of astronomy, solar system science, particle physics, accelerator science and nuclear physics.

STFC studentship quota for those with core research activity in the areas of astronomy, solar system science, particle physics, accelerator science and nuclear physics.

Improved procedures for making and presenting geological maps of planetary bodies targeted by space missions having European involvement.

STFC DTG Quota 2015-16 AMS record for students starting on or after 01/10/2015

BepiColombo Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer UK Lead Scientist

To understand the 3D architecture (how the volcanic units fit together) and hence the evolution of the largest volcanic landscapes on Earth: Continental Flood Basalt Provinces (CFBPs). The Deccan CFBP, India, will be the focus of the study; what is learned from the Deccan can be applied to other CFBPs. Dr Jay aims to understand both the Deccan as a whole, and also whether specific regions can tell us about eruption rates and volumes and from this their role in sudden climate change. To do this she will create a 3D map of the Deccan using ArcGIS and include published data and data that she collected during her PhD.

BepiColombo PMB

The aim of our programme in Astronomy & Planetary Science at the Open University (APSOU) is to carryout detailed investigations of the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planets with a special emphasis on our own Solar System through a combination of observation, simulation, laboratory analysis and theoretical modelling. Our research is divided into two broad areas, reflecting the historical research strengths. This research programme is well-matched to both nationally- and internationally-agreed research imperatives. In its final report, A Science Vision for European Astronomy2, Astronet’s Science Working Group identified four broad areas of strategic importance; our research covers major topics within each of these areas. APSOU projects also map onto two of the four Science Challenges that form STFC’s Road Map3 for science (‘How did the universe begin and how is it evolving?’ and ‘How do stars and planetary systems develop and is life unique to our planet?’). The present APSOU programme comprises 20 projects (labelled A to T), of which 6 are for consideration by the Astronomy Observation (AO) panel, 1 for Astronomy Theory (AT), and 13 for the Planetary Studies (PL) panel. The AO projects cover the breadth of the 7 themes recognised as UK strengths in the report of STFC’s Astronomy Advisory Panel (AAP), whilst the 13 PL projects are directed towards answering questions raised in two of the three themes identified as UK strengths in the roadmap of STFC’s Solar System Advisory Panel (SSAP)4.

BepiColombo is the European Space Agency's mission to Mercury, expected to begin orbiting the planet in 2024. It is a highly-capable pair of spacecraft, equipped with a UK-led X-ray imager (MIXS) that will give much-needed compositional data. MIXS has now been delivered to ESA, and this award fills a one-year gap between the end of my support from the UK Space Agency and the opportunity to secure longer-term support for my role on the BepoColombo team from STFC via my Department's next Consolidated Grant proposal.