2022 Post-Doctoral Fellow - Geophysical Techniques for Off-World Resource Surveys
USGS is partnering with NASA and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD) for Research and Engineering to increase capabilities in off-world resource surveying. We propose to explore the utility and feasibility of geophysical techniques to characterize potential resources in the near subsurface of the Moon and Mars, improving our ability to detect, map, and characterize in situ resources on planetary bodies in the Solar System.
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The Challenge: Earth’s mineral resource models depend on hundreds of years of field experience and study. They allow us better to predict prospective regions of geologic resources which can then be targeted by remote sensing and subsequently sampled to quantify the volume and concentration of a particular mineral resource. The traditional model for resource estimation uses a combination of conceptual models, geologic mapping, and remote sensing to target sampling. The intent of sampling is to refine and detail the subsurface model of ore concentration. This process has evolved out of the observation that many geologic processes generate small (meter to tens of meter scale), high concentration deposits. Such localized resources are challenging to discover, requiring the harmonious union of remote sensing, geologic mapping, sampling, and modeling. This process is fundamentally more difficult to conduct off-world, where geologic mapping and sampling must be done at great effort and cost via robotic spacecraft missions to distant moons and planets. We currently lack capability off-world because:
These capability gaps matter. Our limited ability to detect, assess, and extract off-world resources means there is an unquantified risk to investing, and consequently no prospect of a commercial market for lunar or Martian resources. A new Space economy will emerge when we can demonstrate off-world resource models that quantify risk and reward, accelerating markets and human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. |
Background: The Moon and Mars have a wealth of remote sensing and lander data from missions over the past several decades and continuing to the present day that characterize the lunar and Martian surfaces including topography, reflectance, geologic units, composition, and temperature. For the Moon, the deeper subsurface has primarily been characterized using gravity and magnetic measurements from high lunar orbit coupled with numerical modeling of planetary interiors. At Mars, orbital radar has provided valuable information regarding the shallow subsurface structure and presence of ice at depths of 10’s of meters to ~1 km. Much less is known about the lunar or Martian shallow subsurface ranging from ~1 – a few tens of meters depth. This region, however, is incredibly important because these depths represent the potential reservoir locations for economic ISRU (in situ resource utilization). Our lack of detailed understanding of the formation and evolution of subsurface stratigraphy in this region illustrates the need to develop mapping tools to test hypotheses for variable subsurface geology.
The Opportunity: USGS along with partners from NASA and OUSD's Defense Innovation Unit will work to close these capability gaps by improving off-world resource surveying. We propose to explore the utility and feasibility of geophysical techniques to characterize potential resources in the near subsurface of the Moon and Mars. These may include:
- Gravity
- Magnetics
- Shallow seismic studies
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
- Electrical Resistance Tomography
We seek to assess one or more of these geophysical methods to improve our ability to detect, map, and characterize in situ resources on the Moon and other planetary bodies in the Solar System. In particular, we are looking to test three hypotheses pertaining to the form and distribution of potential off-world in situ resources:
- There are concentrations of water ice on the Moon and Mars that may prove valuable reserves for ISRU. On the Moon, polar lunar volatiles exist both within and outside of permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). These deposits are unevenly distributed both within and outside of PSRs and thus require systematic exploration for mapping and characterization, including compare and contrast of data between polar regions and lower latitude sites. On Mars, ice deposits are known to exist in multiple settings which could be relevant for ISRU. The most promising locations include the flat plains of the northern hemisphere containing regolith mixed with ice as well as lobate debris aprons and/or rock glaciers containing relatively pure ice. However, detailed mapping and characterization of subsurface ice is required in both locales since, to date, there is no mission data capable of detecting this ice between ~1 – 20 m depth.
- The Moon and Mars contain geologic features that are detectably enriched in metals that could serve as in situ resource reserves. For example, the detection of regions on the Moon enriched in spinels and/or metal oxides would potentially provide new sites for ISRU. Martian rocks and regolith show wide diversity in composition and mineralogy which require more detailed characterization to assess the potential for ISRU.
- The lunar and Martian shallow subsurface both have a stratigraphy detectable by geophysical methods that records the history of geologic processes which dictate the current subsurface structure. An improved understanding of the subsurface stratigraphy can provide important data to enable predictive models that can focus attention on areas rich in resources.
Description of the Position:
This will be as GS-12 Post-doctoral fellowship, with a salary commensurate with experience and the local Cost-of-Living Assessment. Successful candidates will have the relevant earth and planetary science or engineering experience and a proposal that illustrates the ideas and methods necessary to address hypotheses described in the previous section. The Fellow will be located at USGS Moffett Field, next to NASA Ames Research Center in one of the most vibrant epicenters of global science and technology. Carnegie Mellon University’s Silicon Valley campus is across the street. The DoD Defense Innovation Unit and Lockheed Martin are a few blocks away. Stanford University, UC Berkeley and globally recognized science and technology companies, and innovative new Space Economy startups are within a few miles drive. The post-doctoral Fellow will have access to co-located NASA and USGS assets, including the NASA Earth Exchange, NASA Space Science Division laboratory facilities, SSERVI lunar regolith lab, USGS spectral libraries, the USGS UAS Research/Engineering lab, and many other assets.
Additional Employment Resources:
Salary Table - Office of Personnel Management
Areas of Ph.D. Applicant: Including but not limited to: Planetary Science, Geology, Geophysics, Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, or related fields. Candidates holding a Ph.D. in other disciplines but with knowledge and skills relevant to the Research Opportunity may be considered.
Advisors:
Jennifer Heldmann, NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, jennifer.heldmann@nasa.gov
Jonathan Stock, Director, USGS National Innovation Center, (415) 652-7347, jstock@usgs.gov
Nirav Patel, Defense Innovation Unit, npatel.ctr@diu.mil
How to Apply
The application period will close July 31, 2022. Please email the Advisors with your CV and a 1-2 page proposal that describes how you would test one or more of the research hypotheses above. Feel free to describe what tools you would need to do this, and any potential follow-on implementation on late decade lunar landers. The Advisors suggest that you reach out engage with us as you draft your proposal, but that is optional.
USGS is partnering with NASA and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD) for Research and Engineering to increase capabilities in off-world resource surveying. We propose to explore the utility and feasibility of geophysical techniques to characterize potential resources in the near subsurface of the Moon and Mars, improving our ability to detect, map, and characterize in situ resources on planetary bodies in the Solar System.
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Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
The Challenge: Earth’s mineral resource models depend on hundreds of years of field experience and study. They allow us better to predict prospective regions of geologic resources which can then be targeted by remote sensing and subsequently sampled to quantify the volume and concentration of a particular mineral resource. The traditional model for resource estimation uses a combination of conceptual models, geologic mapping, and remote sensing to target sampling. The intent of sampling is to refine and detail the subsurface model of ore concentration. This process has evolved out of the observation that many geologic processes generate small (meter to tens of meter scale), high concentration deposits. Such localized resources are challenging to discover, requiring the harmonious union of remote sensing, geologic mapping, sampling, and modeling. This process is fundamentally more difficult to conduct off-world, where geologic mapping and sampling must be done at great effort and cost via robotic spacecraft missions to distant moons and planets. We currently lack capability off-world because:
These capability gaps matter. Our limited ability to detect, assess, and extract off-world resources means there is an unquantified risk to investing, and consequently no prospect of a commercial market for lunar or Martian resources. A new Space economy will emerge when we can demonstrate off-world resource models that quantify risk and reward, accelerating markets and human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. |
Background: The Moon and Mars have a wealth of remote sensing and lander data from missions over the past several decades and continuing to the present day that characterize the lunar and Martian surfaces including topography, reflectance, geologic units, composition, and temperature. For the Moon, the deeper subsurface has primarily been characterized using gravity and magnetic measurements from high lunar orbit coupled with numerical modeling of planetary interiors. At Mars, orbital radar has provided valuable information regarding the shallow subsurface structure and presence of ice at depths of 10’s of meters to ~1 km. Much less is known about the lunar or Martian shallow subsurface ranging from ~1 – a few tens of meters depth. This region, however, is incredibly important because these depths represent the potential reservoir locations for economic ISRU (in situ resource utilization). Our lack of detailed understanding of the formation and evolution of subsurface stratigraphy in this region illustrates the need to develop mapping tools to test hypotheses for variable subsurface geology.
The Opportunity: USGS along with partners from NASA and OUSD's Defense Innovation Unit will work to close these capability gaps by improving off-world resource surveying. We propose to explore the utility and feasibility of geophysical techniques to characterize potential resources in the near subsurface of the Moon and Mars. These may include:
- Gravity
- Magnetics
- Shallow seismic studies
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
- Electrical Resistance Tomography
We seek to assess one or more of these geophysical methods to improve our ability to detect, map, and characterize in situ resources on the Moon and other planetary bodies in the Solar System. In particular, we are looking to test three hypotheses pertaining to the form and distribution of potential off-world in situ resources:
- There are concentrations of water ice on the Moon and Mars that may prove valuable reserves for ISRU. On the Moon, polar lunar volatiles exist both within and outside of permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). These deposits are unevenly distributed both within and outside of PSRs and thus require systematic exploration for mapping and characterization, including compare and contrast of data between polar regions and lower latitude sites. On Mars, ice deposits are known to exist in multiple settings which could be relevant for ISRU. The most promising locations include the flat plains of the northern hemisphere containing regolith mixed with ice as well as lobate debris aprons and/or rock glaciers containing relatively pure ice. However, detailed mapping and characterization of subsurface ice is required in both locales since, to date, there is no mission data capable of detecting this ice between ~1 – 20 m depth.
- The Moon and Mars contain geologic features that are detectably enriched in metals that could serve as in situ resource reserves. For example, the detection of regions on the Moon enriched in spinels and/or metal oxides would potentially provide new sites for ISRU. Martian rocks and regolith show wide diversity in composition and mineralogy which require more detailed characterization to assess the potential for ISRU.
- The lunar and Martian shallow subsurface both have a stratigraphy detectable by geophysical methods that records the history of geologic processes which dictate the current subsurface structure. An improved understanding of the subsurface stratigraphy can provide important data to enable predictive models that can focus attention on areas rich in resources.
Description of the Position:
This will be as GS-12 Post-doctoral fellowship, with a salary commensurate with experience and the local Cost-of-Living Assessment. Successful candidates will have the relevant earth and planetary science or engineering experience and a proposal that illustrates the ideas and methods necessary to address hypotheses described in the previous section. The Fellow will be located at USGS Moffett Field, next to NASA Ames Research Center in one of the most vibrant epicenters of global science and technology. Carnegie Mellon University’s Silicon Valley campus is across the street. The DoD Defense Innovation Unit and Lockheed Martin are a few blocks away. Stanford University, UC Berkeley and globally recognized science and technology companies, and innovative new Space Economy startups are within a few miles drive. The post-doctoral Fellow will have access to co-located NASA and USGS assets, including the NASA Earth Exchange, NASA Space Science Division laboratory facilities, SSERVI lunar regolith lab, USGS spectral libraries, the USGS UAS Research/Engineering lab, and many other assets.
Additional Employment Resources:
Salary Table - Office of Personnel Management
Areas of Ph.D. Applicant: Including but not limited to: Planetary Science, Geology, Geophysics, Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, or related fields. Candidates holding a Ph.D. in other disciplines but with knowledge and skills relevant to the Research Opportunity may be considered.
Advisors:
Jennifer Heldmann, NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, jennifer.heldmann@nasa.gov
Jonathan Stock, Director, USGS National Innovation Center, (415) 652-7347, jstock@usgs.gov
Nirav Patel, Defense Innovation Unit, npatel.ctr@diu.mil
How to Apply
The application period will close July 31, 2022. Please email the Advisors with your CV and a 1-2 page proposal that describes how you would test one or more of the research hypotheses above. Feel free to describe what tools you would need to do this, and any potential follow-on implementation on late decade lunar landers. The Advisors suggest that you reach out engage with us as you draft your proposal, but that is optional.