MARS!...    NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers - MER - [left] have been exploring the surface of Mars since January 2004.  The two rovers are still going strong and performing on-site geological investigations in separate regions on Mars.  ESA's Mars Express [right] also began operation in January 2004 and continues to examine the surface of Mars from orbit with its High-Resolution Stereo Camera - HRSC.

Planetary Geology at ASU

Planetary Geology is the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of matter condensed in the form of planets, satellites, comets and asteroids. The approach used at Arizona State University in solving planetary geology problems incorporates results from spacecraft data analyses, laboratory simulations of various planetary processes, and field studies of features on Earth analogous to extraterrestrial features.

The Planetary Geology Group is active in many different fields of Geology and in particular, Planetary Geology. Current research involves analysis of data returned from spacecraft, including Galileo, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express and Mars Exploration Rovers missions that arrived at Mars in late 2003 and early 2004.