DrJoel Davis

I am an Associate Professor of Planetary Science in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering. I specialise in the evolution of planetary surfaces. My major focus is Mars and my main research questions are: (1) What was the nature of the ancient climate on Mars and how did it change? (2) What is the geological & paleoclimate context for life detection? 

The surface of Mars is the best opportunity to detect evidence for life elsewhere in the solar system, but major unknowns remain about its palaeoclimate. The geological record of Mars is the foremost, accessible means of investigating the ancient climate. More generally, the surface of Mars is a natural planetary laboratory investigating for early solar system geological processes and global environmental change. 

My approach uses remote sending data, from both orbital and landed spacecraft, and terrestrial analogue environments. I am part of the science teams for four space missions to Mars: the HiRISE instrument onboard the NASA MRO orbiter, NASA MSL Curiosity rover, the CaSSIS instrument onboard the ESA TGO orbiter, and the PanCam instrument onboard the ESA ExoMars rover.