Seminar – Dr. Margaret Landis

Title: The Past, Present, and Future of Lunar Polar Volatiles

Abstract:  Planetary atmospheres potentially record a plethora of processes dating from accretion, early bombardment, and subsequent volcanic growth.  Whether for solar system planets or exoplanets, the present-day composition of atmospheres may therefore be a rich archive of information on their geological history.  In the case of warm rocky planets, those without liquid water at their surface, recycling of the volatile elements constituting the atmosphere into the planet’s interior may be or inefficient or entirely inhibited.  In this case, the atmospheres of warm rocky planets may constrain the interior composition and dynamics of the planet, offering exciting potential to understand exoplanet interiors.  

 

In this talk I present our recent results investigating the role of early massive impacts and volcanic degassing in building planetary atmospheres on rocky planets.  These results show the prospects and limitations of having to view planetary processes through the lens of their atmospheres.  I also discuss how Venus provides a key solar system analogue to warm rocky exoplanets, the chemistry of which provides a reference case for predictions of atmospheric chemistry on Venus-like exoplanets.