MSI Seminar

Doors left ajar in storms:
Insights into atmospheric planetary science

John Moores

York University

Our spacecraft have taken us to visit and explore many stark and ancient landscapes in the solar system. At first glance, very little appears to have changed for billions of years, but if we look to the atmosphere we see a dynamism that belies active processes in the present era and that hints at changes at and below the surface. In this talk, we will proceed through these open doors to explore the movement of dust, ice and methane in the hauntingly familiar environment of Mars. We will then travel further to more exotic planetary destinations including Titan, Pluto and Venus. Past results will be discussed along with future developments to explore the atmospheres of our solar system and beyond.