[PLS] – Emily Bamber – University of Cambridge

“Craters to lakes: Unraveling the History of Water on Mars”

Impact craters on planets where water has existed can act as receptacles of vast lakes, which in turn act as refuges for life and as diligent record-keepers. Mars-bound rovers have targeted multiple crater-hosted lakes to search for signs of past life and to learn more about the planet’s past environments. But how did these craters become lakes? In this talk Emily will present past work on the interwoven history of impact craters and water/rivers on Mars’ surface – utilizing satellite data and numerical simulations to explore the competing roles that Mars’ meteorite impacts and riverine processes have had in shaping each other, and Mars’ surface.

Planetary Lunch Seminar —

Colloquia topics span the range of research interests of the department’s planetary sciences research program, and the talks are intended to appeal to any graduate students, postdocs, research scientists, and faculty with a background in planetary science. Speakers include members of the MIT community and visitors.

Contact: planetary-org@mit.edu