Dr. Tomasz Stepinski

Martian Geomorphology and Origin of the Solar System
E-mail: tom@lpi.usra.edu

In the coming year I will work on automated classification of various Martian terrains on the basis of an algorithmic method based on concepts borrowed from terrestrial hydrology. MOLA data is used to extract a fractal network that would presently drain the terrain. Statistical properties of such a network encapsulate the overall morphology of the terrain and constitute the basis for an objective classification. In addition, I will continue to work on global models of evolution of solid material in the solar nebula. I also plan to continue to apply statistical methods to study the true nature of extrasolar planets and the origin of the inclinations in the classical Kuiper Belt.

Dr. Stepinski's personal page