AOPP Seminar - From the lab to the skies: Exploring volatile processes in water and methane on the Moon, Mars and beyond

For the past fourteen years, the members of the Planetary Volatiles Laboratory have aimed to further our understanding of atmospheres, aerosols and ices across the solar system. In this talk, I will discuss several examples of our work including (1) our observations of atmospheric dust and ice using imagers onboard the Curiosity Rover; (2) our laboratory work simulating deposits in the Moon’s Permanently Shadowed Regions; and (3) our theoretical work to understand cycles in methane on Titan, Pluto and Mars. As we look to the future, we have partnered with Canadian industry to develop a sensitive and robust optical instrument capable of rapid trace gas measurements in the Martian atmosphere. Known as MAGE, this instrument has made two trips to the Canadian High Arctic and will next be mounted on a drone for tests to take place in Iceland in 2028.