Volcanism is an ubiquitous process that has shaped surfaces across the solar system. Volcanic eruptions and subsequent formation of volcanic landforms can be described by a set of physical processes. We use mathematical models to study how these processes are impacted by diversity in interior composition, gravity, and atmospheric conditions that exist on other planets and moons.

Our group uses physical volcanology to primarily study the surface evolution of Venus. We use granular flow models to describe the emplacement of pyroclastic flows under Venus conditions to understand how the high atmospheric pressure, temperature, and density affects mass transport processes. The planned missions to Venus in the next decade will look for signs of ongoing magmatic and volcanic activity on Venus. To aid in the search for active volcanism, we study the emplacement and cooling of lava flows under Venus conditions. The inferred timescales and lengthscales of flow emplacement, and flow thermal conditions will help estimate the likelihood of detection of new flows using repeat imaging and near-infrared spectroscopy techniques.