Planetary Science

Radar geophysics has broad applicability towards the field of Planetary Science. I am particularly interested in active radar imaging methods to study surface processes on Titan, radar sounding of Europa, and both imaging and sounding for studying the Martian periglacial and polar environments.

I have used the Cassini RADAR instrument to study Titan’s polar hydrology and its distribution of filled and empty lakes. I also have experience applying delay-Doppler processing methods to Cassini radar altimetry data, and modeling SAR processing strategies for ice-sounding radars for the upcoming REASON Mission to Europa.

Related Publications

Michaelides, R. J., Schroeder, Dustin (2019). Doppler-based discrimination of radar sounder target scattering properties: A case study of subsurface water geometry in Europa’s ice shell. Icarus, 326, 29-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.02.037

Hayes, A. G., Birch, S. P. D., Dietrich, W. E., Howard, A. D., Kirk, R. L., Poggiali, V., Mastrogiuseppe, M., Michaelides, R. J., Corlies, P. M., Moore, J. M., Malaska, M. J., Mitchelle, K. L., Lorenze, R. D., Wood, C. A. (2017). Topographic constraints on the evolution and connectivity of Titan’s lacustrine basins. Geophysical Research Letters, 44. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075468

Michaelides, R. J., Hayes, A. G., Mastrogiuseppe, M., Zebker, H. A., Farr, T. G., Malaska, M. J.,…Mullen, J. P. (2016). Constraining the physical properties of Titan’s empty lake basins using nadir and off-nadir Cassini RADAR backscatter. Icarus, 270, 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2015.09.043