Welcome to the website of the
Geophysical Institute
Planetary Science Group
(Since 1998)


The UAF Planetary Science Group is a part of the Earth and Planetary Remote Sensing Program at the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  We study the geological processes that have shaped the solid bodies of the solar system.  Approaches include interpretation of orbital imagery and geophysical data, cratering experiments, and numerical modeling.  Areas of focus include the impact cratering process, mantle-surface interactions on Venus, and volcanism on the terrestrial planets.  The group was founded by Buck Sharpton upon his arrival in 1998.  In 2004 Robert Herrick arrived to join the group as research faculty.  In 2006 Dr. Sharpton became the full time Vice Chancellor for Research.  Other faculty at UAF with an interest in planetary science include engineering faculty Kenji Yoshikawa and Jerry Johnson.

Faculty members:
Dr. Robert Herrick
Dr. Buck Sharpton

Current Graduate students:
Jena Hecker
Steven Koeber
John Perreault

Completed theses and dissertations

Fred Calef - Ph.D. Geology, 2010 - Investigating the Retention of Bright and Dark Ejecta from Small Rayed Craters on Mars.

Abigail Gleason - M.S. Geophysics, 2008 - Steep-sided Domes on Venus: Morphologies and Emplacement Mechanisms Reevaluated Using High-Resolution Topography Data

Katie Hessen - M.S. Geophysics, 2008 -  Oblique Impact Cratering: A Comparison of Low-Velocity Experiments to High-Velocity Experiments

Cindy Kirkham  -  M.S. Geology, 2005 - Supervised Classification of the Volcanic Rocks in the Vicinity of El'Gygytgyn Impace Crater, Chukotka, Russia with Landsat ETM+

Sharon Pitiss  -  M.S. Geophysics, 2005 - Constraints Upon the History of Meridiani Planum, Mars Using Sub-Kilometer Crater Counting

John Chappelow  -  Ph.D. Geophysics, 2005 - Three Studies of Impact Phenomena in the Solar System

Past undergraduate summer interns:
Johanna Kieniewicz (2000) - From UC-SantaBarbara, CA, now at Washington University in St. Louis.
Marshall Kettner (2001).
Christina Williams (2002) - From Johns Hopkins, MD, returned to get MS in Geophysics at UAF.
Kristin Morell (2003) - From Wellesley College, MA.
Kirsten Fristad (2004) - From MacAlester College, MN, now at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Elise Rumpf (2005) - From SUNY - Buffalo, NY, now at University of Hawaii
Autumn Wille (2007) - From Bemidji State, MN.
Matthew Herman (2008) - From Amherst College, MA.

A few old group pictures 

Last updated:  November 9, 2010