NASA Postdoctoral Program - Geology and Geophysics of Europa and Other Outer Planet Satellites

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. This specific opportunity involves geological mapping, modeling, and analysis of tectonic and/or geophysical processes relevant to Europa and other outer planet satellites. Research may include analysis of regional and global stress fields for fracture formation, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to constrain the mechanisms and stresses of structure formation. Related research can help derive the stress mechanisms that have affected icy satellites through their preserved geological histories. Proposals on other related icy satellite processes such as convection, internal evolution, and mass wasting are also welcome. The position is located at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is advised by Dr. Robert Pappalardo.