Project 10:
On Earth, our understanding of scientific issues that significantly impact society is grounded in maps, whether identifying natural hazards and resources or citing civil infrastructure and communication assets. The upcoming Artemis missions will send humans back to the moon for the first time in half a century, and crewed missions to Mars are on the horizon. Landing sites and activities for these missions will be directly influenced by high quality, timely, content rich maps. This project will require the applicant to participate as a member of a team of scientists who will collectively contribute to the development of a map search database that will facilitate current and future space exploration.
The candidate intern will work with USGS Astrogeology Science Center personnel to participate in the development of a comprehensive database of planetary maps. The candidate will participate in a survey of planetary science publications, identifying which venues are common for planetary map publications. The candidate will also participate in the identification and compilation of database entries, including the creation of map footprints in geospatial software (GIS). The project will leverage and emphasize planetary science literature, geographic information system software, and out-of-the-box approaches to creating an impactful search tool to support human exploration.
The project will result in contribution to a new and impactful search tool which will be widely used throughout the planetary science community. Depending on applicant interest, preparation and presentation of contributing material at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (or similar) through a first-authored abstract and poster presentation is also possible. The applicant will learn about the fundamentals of planetary mapping, and geographic information systems, and have an opportunity to contribute to the current body of knowledge on how maps support off-world exploration. The applicant will learn critical thinking and community engagement skills via participation in group discussions and group preparation of the database, tool, and supportive documents.