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My past and current research projects focus on channel formation, fracturing, impact cratering and landscape evolution on a variety of planetary bodies. I use observation, modeling and theoretical analysis to study the surface processes themselves and also the surface/sub-surface properties of planetary bodies. ~~~ Please click on the planet of your choice! ~~~ |
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Mercury I have not yet had any dealings with this planet 
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Venus My Masters Project at University College London concentrated on recording and analysing the meander geometry of 'canali' on the surface of Venus. These venusian channels are particularly intriguing as they resemble river channels on Earth. Canali on Venus are thought unique on terrestrial planets because of their great lengths (up to 7300km) and near-constant widths. Due to liquid water being unstable at the surface of Venus in the current epoch, low-melting-point lavas that maintain near-constant viscosity for several thousand kilometres are considered to be the canali-forming agents. Results of meander geometry measurements imply that the process of canali formation is unlike any known volcanic or aqueous process on other terrestrial bodies. Meander wavelengths indicate formation by a fluid of high discharge rate, and differences from other solar-system lava channel geometry suggest that this fluid was not necessarily volcanic in origin. Analysis of associated topographic data suggests that Canali were forming before and during the early stages of plains tectonism. Related Publications: Waltham, D., K. T. Pickering, and V. J. Bray (2007), Particulate gravity currents on Venus, J. Geophys. Res., 113, E02012, doi:10.1029/2007JE002913. Bray V. J., D. B. J. Bussey, R. C. Ghail, A. P. Jones, K. T. Pickering (2007), Meander geometry of Venusian canali: Constraints on flow regime and formation time, J. Geophys. Res., 112, E04S05, doi:10.1029/2006JE0 02785.(DOWNLOAD PDF)
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Earth Our current understanding of geological processes is heavily based on our knowlege of these processes on Earth. As such, although I do not work closely with terrestrial channels, fracturing, or impact craters, a lot of my work involves comparison to terrestrial analogues. More of my work concerns the Earth's moon... I am currently a member of the targeting action team for the LROC - the camera onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). This involves selecting areas that I think may be of interest to others interested in impact cratering and requesting that the LROC take a photo of them (there are others on the team that worry about targeting volcanoes, etc). Once images come back down from the LRO, the targeting team will help check that each LROC image has hit its target. My research centers on lunar impact crater morphology, impact melts observed in visial and radar imagery, and the transition to peak-ring morphology. The moon also provides an important starting point with which to understand the wide variety of different crater morphologies present in the solar system. A lot of my work involves comparing crater morphology on the Moon to other bodies, especially Mars and Jupiter's icy moon - Ganymede. Related Publications: Bray, V. J., C. Atwood-Stone, and A. S. McEwen (2012), Investigating the transition from central peak to peak-ring basins using central feature volume measurements from the Global Lunar DTM 100m, Geophys. Res. Lett. 39:L21201. (DOWNLOAD PDF)
Bray, V. J., G. S. Collins, J. V. Morgan and P. M. Schenk (2008). The Effect of Target Properties on Crater Morphology: Comparison of Central Peak Craters on the Moon and Ganymede, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, Vol. 43, No. 12, pp. 1979-1992. (DOWNLOAD PDF)
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Mars I am currently working at the HiRISE Opperations Center (HiROC) where the dedicated HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) team reside! I am studying the features of fresh and well-preserved Martian impact craters (such as alluvial fans, viscous flow features, exposed bedrock layers and ponded regions of pitted material). Most of this work uses HiRISE and CTX images and DTMs. I have been combining some CRISM data recently in the mapping of the bedrock exposed in the central uplifts of craters. Related Publications:
Tornabene, L. L., G. R. Osinski, A. S. McEwen, J. M. Boyce, V. J. Bray, C. M. Caudill, J. A. Grant, S. Mattson, and P. J. Mouginis-Mark (2012). Widespread crater-related pitted materials on Mars: Further evidence for the role of target volatiles during the impact process. Icarus, 220:348-368. Banks, M. E., Bryne, S., Galla, K. G. , Murray, B. C., McEwen, A. S., Bray, V. J., Fishbaugh, K. E., Dundas, C. M., Herkenhoff, K. E., Murray, B. C., and the HiRISE Team (2010), Crater Population and Resurfacing of the Martian North Polar Layered Deposits, Journal of Geophysical Research. doi:10.1029/2009JE003523, In Press.
Reufer, A., N. Thomas, W. Benz, S. Byrne, V. Bray, C. Dundas and M. Searls (2010). Models of high velocity impacts into dust-covered ice: Application to Martian northern lowlands. Planetary and Space Science, 58 (10):1160-1168.
Dundas , C. M., L. P. Keszthelyi, V. J. Bray, and A. S. McEwen (2010), Role of material properties in the cratering record of young platy‐ridged lava on Mars, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L12203, doi:10.1029/2010GL042869.
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The Asteroid Belt I have not yet had any dealings with this region of the solar system
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The Jupiter System The morphology and formation of craters on Ganymede and Europa was the focus of my PhD thesis, completed at Imperial College London. I use computer modelling and analysis of topographic profiles created from Voyager and Galileo data to assess crater formation on Ganymede and Europa, and to obtain an estimate of how thick the ice crust of Europa might be! Recently I have been focusing on the formation of a morphological type of impact crater seen almost exclusively on the icy Galilean satellites around Jupiter, and on Mars - Central pit craters. Related Publications: Bray, V. J, . G. S. Collins, J. V. Morgan and H. J. Melosh. Hydrocode simulation of Ganymede and Europa cratering trends. Submitted to Icarus. Elder, C. M., V. J. Bray, H. J. Melosh (2012). The theoretical plausibility of central pit formation via melt drainage. Icarus 221:831–843. Bray, V. J., P. M. Schenk, H. J. Melosh, J. V. Morgan, G. S. Collins. Ganymede crater dimensions – implications for peak and pit formation and development. Icarus 217:115-129. Bray, V. J., G. S. Collins, J. V. Morgan and P. M. Schenk (2008). The Effect of Target Properties on Crater Morphology: Comparison of Central Peak Craters on the Moon and Ganymede, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, Vol. 43, No. 12, pp. 1979-1992. (DOWNLOAD PDF)
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The Saturnian System I have studied both craters and fractures on Enceladus from Cassini data as part of my visiting scholar work with Zibi Turtle. My work with Saturn's icy moons continues with analysis of craters morpholgy on Titan and comparison with Ganymede craters.
Related Publications:
Neish, C. D., R.L. Kirk, R.D. Lorenz, V.J. Bray, P. Schenk, B. Stiles, E. Turtle, K. Mitchell, A. Hayes, Cassini RADAR Team. Topography of craters on Titan. In Press.
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Uranus I have not yet had any dealings with this region of the solar system!
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Neptune I have not yet had any dealings with this region of the solar system!
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Pluto and The Kuiper Belt I have not yet had any dealings with this region of the solar system!
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