Targets of Interest: Asteroids, Callisto, Ceres, Earth, Icy Satellites, Mars, Mercury, Moon
Disciplines/Techniques: Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Climate, Geomorphology, Laboratory Spectroscopy, Numerical Modeling, Radiometry, Remote Sensing, Thermal Emission Spectroscopy, Thermal Modeling
Missions: Mars Polar Lander, Phoenix Mars Lander
Instruments: Cameras, FTIR, Imaging Spectrometers
Dr. Stephen Wood's research interests include polar ice, frost, and/or ground ice on Mars, Mercury, Ceres, the Moon, and asteroids as well as surface properties and evolution on icy satellites, regolith thermophysics, ice clouds and crystal growth, climate dynamics, astrobiology, and instrumentation design for planetary spacecraft missions and laboratory use. In the broadest terms, his research concerns ice-bearing planetary objects and the interactive relationships between the regolith, volatile, atmosphere, and climate. These components form a strongly coupled system that evolves through time, driven by changes in external forcing (insolation, orbit, axial tilt, endogenic heat, etc.). Much of Dr. Wood's work focuses on understanding the microphysical properties and processes that govern the internal response and feedback mechanisms in these systems
