Planetary Radar Science
Adapting and expanding terrestrial radio glaciology to the exploration of icy moons.
The exploration of icy moons using ice penetrating radar has many observational and geophysical commonalities with terrestrial radio glaciology. However, limitations in power, processing, and data volume make the collection and interpretation of planetary radar sounding data a distinct challenge. As part of the NASA’s Europa Clipper Science Team, we are working to develop and adapt novel observation and analysis techniques to maximize the scientific return from their radar instruments. These include studies evaluating and optimizing the geophysical performance of the RIME and REASON radar sounders (on the ESA and NASA Jupiter icy moon missions). We are also exploring the possibility of using Jovian decametric radiation as a signal of opportunity for sounding, developing a joint radar/stereo-imagery approach for flyby geodesy, and exploring the use of attenuation imaging to constrain ice-shell properties. Happily, these highly-optimized approaches are also powerful when applied to the comparatively data and signal rich observations of terrestrial ice sheets.
Publications
Constraining the Thickness of the Conductive Portion of Europa's Ice Shell Using Sparse Radar Echoes
D.M. Schroeder, N.S. Wolfenbarger, G.B. Steinbrügge, R. Culberg, S.M. Howell, E. Spiers, M. Styczinski,
Geophysical Research Letters, 2024
Science Overview of the Europa Clipper Mission
R.T. Pappalardo, B.J. Buratti, H. Korth, D.A. Senske, D.L. Blaney, D.D. Blankenship, J.L. Burch, P.R. Christensen, S. Kempf, M.G. Kivelson, E.M. Mazarico, K. D. Retherford, E.P. Turtle, J.H. Westlake, B.G. Paczkowski, T.L. Ray, J. Kampmeier, K.L. Craft, S.M. Howell, R.L. Klima, E.J. Leonard, A.M. Novak, C.B. Phillips, I.J. Daubar, J. Blacksberg, S.M. Brooks, M.N. Choukroun, C.J. Cochrane, S. Diniega, C.M. Elder, C.M. Ernst, M.S. Gudipati, A. Luspay-Kuti, S. Piqueux, A.M. Rymer, J.H. Roberts, G. Steinbrügge, M.L. Cable, J.E. C. Scully, J.C. Castillo-Rogez, H.C.F.C. Hay, D.M. Persaud, C.R. Glein, W.B. McKinnon, J.M. Moore, C.A. Raymond, D.M. Schroeder, S.D. Vance, D.Y. Wyrick, M.Y. Zolotov, K.P. Hand, F. Nimmo, M.A. McGrath, J.R. Spencer, J.I. Lunine, C.S. Paty, J.M. Soderblom, G.C. Collins, B.E. Schmidt, J.A. Rathbun, E.L. Shock,T.C. Becker, A.G. Hayes, L.M. Prockter, B.P. Weiss, C.A. Hibbitts, A. Moussessian, T.G. Brockwell, H. Hsu, X. Jia, G.R. Gladstone, A.S. McEwen, G.W. Patterson, R.L. McNutt, J.P. Evans, T.W. Larson, L.A. Cangahuala, G.G. Havens, B.B. Buffington, B. Bradley, S. Campagnola, S.H. Hardman, J.M. Srinivasan, K.L. Short, T.C. Jedrey, J.A. St. Vaughn, K.P. Clark, J. Vertesi, C. Niebur
Space Science Reviews, 2024
Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON)
D.D. Blankenship, A. Moussessian, E. Chapin, D.A. Young, G.W. Patterson, J.J. Plaut, A.P. Freedman, D.M. Schroeder, C.l Grima, Gregor Steinbrügge, K.M. Soderlund, T. Ray, T.G. Richter, L. Jones-Wilson, N.S. Wolfenbarger, K.M. Scanlan, C. Gerekos, K Chan, I. Seker, M.S. Haynes, A.C. Barr Mlinar, L. Bruzzone, B.A. Campbell, L.M. Carter, C. Elachi, Y. Gim, A. Hérique, H. Hussmann, W. Kofman, W.S. Kurth, M. Mastrogiuseppe, W.B. McKinnon, J.M. Moore, F. Nimmo, C. Paty, D. Plettemeier, B.E. Schmidt, M.Y. Zolotov, P.M. Schenk, S.Collins, H. Figueroa, M. Fischman, E. Tardiff, A. Berkun, M. Paller, J.P. Hoffman, A. Kurum, G. Sadowy, K.B. Wheeler, E. Decrossas, Y. Hussein, C. Jin, F. Boldissar, N. Chamberlain, B. Hernandez, E. Maghsoudi, J. Mihaly, S. Worel, V. Singh, K. Pak, J. Tanabe, R. Johnson, M. Ashtijou, T. Alemu, M. Burke, B. Custodero, M.C. Tope, D. Hawkins, K. Aaron, G.T., Delory, P.S. Turin, D.L. Kirchner, K. Srinivasan, J. Xie, B. Ortloff, I. Tan, T. Noh, D. Clark, V. Duong, S. Joshi, J. Lee, E. Merida, R. Akbar, X. Duan, I. Fenni, M. Sanchez-Barbetty, C. Parashare, D.C. Howard, J. Newman, M.G. Cruz, N.J. Barabas, A. Amirahmadi, B. Palmer, R.S. Gawande, G. Milroy, R. Roberti, F.E .Leader, R.D. West, J. Martin, V. Venkatesh, V. Adumitroaie, C. Rains, C. Quach, J.E. Turner, C.M. O’Shea, S.D. Kempf, G. Ng, D.P. Buhl, T.J. Urban
Space Science Reviews, 2024
Feasibility of Passive Sounding of Uranian Moons using Uranian Kilometric Radiation
A. Romero-Wolf, G. Steinbrügge, J. Castillo-Rogez, C.J. Cochrane, T.A. Nordheim1, K.L. Mitchell, N.S. Wolfenbarger, D.M. Schroeder, S.T. Peters,
Earth and Space Science, 2023
The Phase Response of a Rough Rectangular Facet for Radar Sounder Simulations of Both Coherent and Incoherent Scattering
C. Gerekos, M. S. Haynes, D.M. Schroeder, D. D. Blankenship
Radio Science, 2023
Alternatives to Liquid Water Beneath the South Polar Ice Cap of Mars
D.M. Schroeder, G. Steinbrügge
Geophysical Research Letters, 2021
Passive Radio Sounding to Correct for Europa’s Ionospheric Distortion of VHF Signals
S.T. Peters, D.M. Schroeder, A. Romero-Wolf
Planetary and Space Science, 2021
Analysis of Temporal and Structural Characteristics of Jovian Radio Emissions for Passive Radar Sounding of Jupiter’s Icy Moons
L. Carrer, D.M. Schroeder, A. Romero-Wolf, P.A. Ries, L. Bruzzone
IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 2020
Bright prospects for radar detection of Europa’s ocean
Y. Aglyamov, D.M. Schroeder , S.D. Vance
Icarus, 2017
Radar Characterization of Salt Layers in Europa’s Ice Shell as a Window into Critical Ice-Ocean Exchange Processes
N.S. Wolfenbarger, D.D. Blankenship, D.A. Young, K.M. Scanlan, C.J. Chivers, D. Findlay, G.B. Steinbrügge, K. Chan, C. Grima, K.M. Soderlund, D.M. Schroeder
Geophysical Research Letters, 2024
Exploring the Interior of Europa with Europa Clipper
J.H. Roberts, W.B. McKinnon, C. Elder, J.B. Biersteker, D.A. Young, R.S. Park, F. Nimmo, S.M. Howell, J.C. Castillo-Rogez, M.L. Cable, M. Kivelson, P. Tortora, T.B. McCord, A. Dombard, E. Mazarico, G. Tobie, C. Glein, C. Ernst, N.S. Wolfenbarger, J. Lawrence, S.D. Vance, W.S. Kiefer, H. Hussmann, H.C.F.C. Hay, K.M Soderlund, E. Spiers, L.C. Quick, M. Hedman, K. Khurana, C.J. Cochrane, C.A. Raymond, M.J. Styczinski, L. Roth, B.P. Weiss, X. Jia, P. Withers, K. Scanlan, G. Steinbrügge, A. Genova, J.N. Abrahams, K. Retherford, M.T. Bland, P.O. Hayne, A. Rymer, D.M. Schroeder, C. Paty, J.I. Lunine, R.T. Pappalardo, D.A. Senske, H. Korth, M.N. Villarreal, E.J. Leonard, C.D. Harris, J.H. Westlake, C. Chivers, J. Saur, and the Interior Thematic Working Group
Space Science Reviews, 2023
Double Ridge Formation Over Shallow Water Sills on Jupiter’s Moon Europa
R. Culberg, D.M. Schroeder, G. Steinbrügge
Nature Communications, 2022
Conditioning Jovian Burst Signals for Passive Sounding Applications
T.M. Roberts, A. Romero-Wolf, L. Bruzzone, L. Carrer, S.T. Peters, D.M. Schroeder
IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 2021
Challenges on Mercury’s interior structure posed by the new measurements of its obliquity and tides
G. Steinbrügge, M. Dumberry, A. Rivoldini, G. Schubert, H. Cao, D.M. Schroeder, K.M. Soderlund,
Geophysical Research Letters, 2020
Radar attenuation in Europa's ice shell: Obstacles and opportunities for constraining the shell thickness and its thermal structure
K. Kalousova, D.M. Schroeder, K. Soderlund
Journal of Geophysical Research, 2017
Mars Radar Clutter and Surface Roughness Characteristics from MARSIS Data
B.A. Campbell, D.M. Schroeder, J.L. Whitten
Icarus, 2017
Prospects of passive radio detection of a subsurface ocean on Europa with a lander
A. Romero-Wolf, D.M. Schroeder, P. Ries, B.G. Bills, C.Naudet, B.R. Scott, R. Treuhaft, S. Vance.
Planetary and Space Science, 2016
Assessing the potential for passive radio sounding of Europa and Ganymede with RIME and REASON
D.M. Schroeder, A. Romero-Wolf, L. Carrer, C. Grima, B.A. Campbell, W. Kofman, L. Bruzzone, D.D. Blankenship
Planetary and Space Science, 2016
Doppler-based discrimination of radar sounder target scattering properties: A case study of subsurface water geometry in Europa's ice shell
R.J. Michaelides, D.M. Schroeder
Icarus, 2019
Planned Geological Investigations of the Europa Clipper Mission
I.J. Daubar, A.G. Hayes, G.C. Collins, K. Craft, J.A. Rathbun, J.R. Spencer, D.Y. Wyrick, M.T. Bland, A.G. Davies, C.M. Ernst, S.M. Howell, E.J. Leonard, A.S. McEwen, J.M. Moore, C.B. Phillips, L. M. Prockter, L. C. Quick, J. E. C. Scully, J. M. Soderblom, S. M. Brooks, M. Cable, M.E. Cameron, K. Chan, C.J. Chivers, M. Choukroun, C.J. Cochrane, S. Diniega, A.J. Dombard, C.M. Elder, C. Gerekos, C. Glein, T.K. Greathouse, C. Grima, M.S. Gudipati, K. Hand, C.J. Hansen, P. Hayne, M. Hedman, K. Hughson, X. Jia, J. Lawrence, H.M. Meyer, K. Miller, R. Parekh, G.W. Patterson, D.M. Persaud, S. Piqueux, K.D. Retherford, K.M. Scanlan, P. Schenk, B. Schmidt, D.M. Schroeder, G. Steinbrügge, A. Stern, G. Tobie, P. Withers, D.A. Young, B. Buratti, H. Korth, D. Senske, R. Pappalardo,
Space Science Reviews, 2024
Radar Attenuation in Enceladus' Ice Shell: Obstacles and Opportunities for Constraining Shell Thickness, Chemistry, and Thermal Structure
O. Soucek, K. Kalousova, D.M. Schroeder, N.S. Wolfenbarger, M. Behounkova, G. Steinbrügge, K.M. Soderlund
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 2023
Altimetry Measurements from Planetary Radar Sounders and Application to SHARAD on Mars
G. Steinbrügge, M. Haynes, D.M. Schroeder, K.M. Scanlan, A. Stark, D.A. Young, C. Grima, S. Kempf, G. Ng. D. Buhl, J.R.C. Voigt, T. Roatsch, D.D. Blankenship
IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 2021
Brine Migration and Impact‐Induced Cryovolcanism on Europa
G. Steinbrügge, J.R.C. Voigt, N.S. Wolfenbarger, C.W. Hamilton, K.M. Soderlund, D.A. Young, D.D. Blankenship, S. Vance
Geophysical Research Letters, 2020
The Surface Roughness of Europa derived from Galileo Stereo Images
G. Steinbruegge, J.R.C. Voight, D.M. Schroeder, A. Stark, M.S. Haynes, K.M. Scanlan, C.W. Hamilton, D.A. Young, H. Hussman, C. Grima, D.D. Blankenship
Icarus, 2020
Assessing the Detectability Europa’s Eutectic Zone using Radar Sounding,
C. Culha, D.M. Schroeder, T.M. Jordan, M. Haynes
Icarus, 2020
Assessing the potential for measuring Europa’s tidal Love number h2 using radar sounder and topographic imager data
G. Steinbruegge, D.M. Schroeder, M.S. Haynes, H. Hussmann, C. Grima, D.D. Blankenship
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2018
Radar Signal through the Ionosphere of Europa
C. Grima, D.D. Blankenship, D.M. Schroeder
Planetary and Space Science, 2015
An Interferometric Approach to Cross-Track Clutter Detection in Two Channel VHF Radar Sounders
D. Castelletti, D.M. Schroeder, S. Hensley, C. Grima, G. Ng, D.A. Young, Y. Gim, L Bruzzone, A. Moussessian, D.D. Blankenship
IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 2017