GeoPlaNet project / Consortium

The consortium is composed by two partners from the “Région Pays de la Loire” (Observatoire National de Sciences de l’Univers Nantes-Atlantique, Géosciences Le Mans) and, most importantly, by international partners with whom the LPG collaborated over the past 20 years. It includes two leaders of the international space exploration: the Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Caltech (JPL, USA) and the European Space Agency (ESA, Europe), plus seven European laboratories and two US laboratories already actively involved in NASA and ESA space exploration programs. In addition to these partners, the consortium includes nine foreign laboratories that are already leaders in the disciplines of Earth Sciences and willing to extend their research expertise to planetary geosciences. This list is not closed and open to any LPG partner willing to build together an international research and training network in planetary geosciences.

PartnerCountryResearch themesMaster 2 internshipsContact at LPG
LPG-Laboratoire de Planétologie et GéosciencesFrance*Diversity of Icy Worlds : after Cassini-Huygens, before JUICE & comparaive evolution of icy worlds;
*Earth-like Planets : Mars & from Mercury to Exo-Earths;
*Planet Earth : structure and dynamics of the Earth and fluid-rocks interactions.
HereAntoine Mocquet
ESA-European Space AgencyNetherlands-Planetary mission (Exomars, Mars Express, JUICE,…);
-Comparative planetology, including geology, impact craters, spectroscopy/mapping water…;
-Investigation of asteroids, cosmic dust, planetary discs & minor bodies in the solar system;
-Petrology and astrobiology analysis. 
Get in touch with the contact at LPGGabriel Tobie
JPL-Jet Propulsion LaboratoryUnited States*Exploration programs to Mars (MSL, Mars2020, Insight), to asteroids (Dawn and Psyche), to Jupiter (JUNO, Europa Clipper, Europa Lander) and to Saturn (Cassini-Huygens).
*Biologial potential of the internal ocean in icy moons 
Get in touch with the contact at LPGGabriel Tobie 
UNM-University of New MexicoUnited States-Mars Science Laboratory : geochemical evolution of Gale Crater, Mars and the fluvial and sedimentary deposits in the crater;
-Impact crater processes : impact deposits & hydrothermal activity (Earth & Mars);
-Martian meteorite and lunar sample studies: formation & evolution;
-Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray data analysis.
Get in touch with the contact at LPGNicolas Mangold 
CAB-Centro de AstrobiologíaSpain-Extremophiles-terrestrial analogs;
-Habitability;
-Geochemistry;
-Paleoenvironment on Mars;
-Planetary atmospheres and impact cratering.
Get in touch with the contact at LPGOlivier Grasset
ORB-Observatoire Royal de BelgiqueBelgium*Planetary Geodesy (rotation, tides, gravitational field;
*Interior structure and evolution (terrestrial bodies, icy satellites, super-Earth exoplanets);
*Interactions between interior, atmosphere and space (e.g. impacts);
*Habitability. 
ORB 2019Olivier Verhoeven 
OU-Open UniversityUnited Kingdom-Orbital instruments: NOMAD & CaSSIS;                           
-Mercury, Mars and Earth;
-Mars chamber.  
OU 2019 Susan Conway
IRSPS-International Research School in Planetary ScienceItaly*Characterization of sedimentary environments (aqueous & aeolian) on planetary bodies;
*Pedogenetic processes and terrestrial analogues (genesis & evolution of the light-toned sulfate bearing deposits in Arabia Terra on Mars, remote sensing applications,…).
Get in touch with the contact at LPGNicolas Mangold 
UNIPD-Università di PadovaItaly-Mars (ExoMars-CASSIS) : geological mapping, fractal analysis applied on deep fluid and magama circulation,…;
-Minor bodies (Rosetta-OSIRIS) : surface processes and geological evolution of comets and asteroids,…;
-Mercury (Bepi Colombo-SIMBIOSYS): crystallographic and spectroscopic behavior of minerals in extreme environments,…
Get in touch with the contact at LPGNicolas Mangold
UNIBE-Université de BerneSwitzerland*Developement of instruments for ESA & NASA missions (Rosetta, Exomars, Bepi-Colombo, JUICE, Europa-clipper), analysis of their data, supporting by numerical modeling and laboratory experimentations with a focus on Mars, comets and icy satellites.Get in touch with the contact at LPGNicolas Mangold 
CUNI-Charles UniversityCzech-Numerical modeling of interior and surfaces processes (tidally-driven thermo-mechanical deformatoin, water transport processes through ice layers, paleo-glaciation and viscoelastic deformation);
-Inversion of topography and gravity data : interior structure models of Mars & icy moons.
Get in touch with the contact at LPGCaroline Dumoulin 
UC-Universidade de CoimbraPortugal*Geologic and geomorphologic mapping of planetary surfaces : martian tectonics, GIS, remote sensing, geomorphology, aelian processes;
*Study of minor bodies of the Solar System : telescope observation of surface properties of Kuiper belt objects;
*Internal and external geomagnetism : internal magnetic field modelling and inversion, dynamics of the Earth interior, external geomagnetism.
Get in touch with the contact at LPGBenoit Langlais
UP-Universidade do PortoPortugal-Mineralogy of asteroids and meteorites
-Study of mechanisms of electrical charge generation and propagation in rocks under mechanical action
Get in touch with the contact at LPGOlivier Verhoeven
IES-Institute of Earth Sciences from Academica SinicaTaiwan-Planetary mantle dynamics and structure;
-High-pressure experiments on planetary mantle materials;
-Structure and composition of deep Earth’s mantle;
-Planetary rotation and gravity anomalies;
-Isotope geochemistry.
Get in touch with the contact at LPGHagay Amit
ON-Observatório NacionalBrazil*Dynamical origin of geomagnetic jerks in the core;
*Modelling of the mantle electrical conductivity;
*Magnetic observatories and magnetic repeat stations in Brasil. 
Get in touch with the contact at LPGHagay Amit
USP-Universidade de São PauloBrazil-Archeomagnetism and the evolution of the South Atlantic Anomaly;
-Paleomagnetism and the average Earth’s field;
-Solar dynamos.
Get in touch with the contact at LPGHagay Amit 
DLR-German Aerospace CenterGermany*Remote sensing and in-situ exploration of Solar System Objects;
*Transit detection and modeling including astrobiological considerations;
*Planetary geodesy and cartography;
*Infrared spectroscopy;
*Mars/Planetary simulation and biosignatures;
*Optoelectronic and thermal sensors for space application.
Get in touch with the contact at LPGLaetitia Le Deit
ELSI-Earth Life Science InstituteJapan-Giant impacts and planetary formation
-Dynamics of planetary interiors (core and mantle)
-Mineral physics of planetary interiors
-Atmosphere evolution (Mars, Venus, exoplanets)
-Biosignatures and habitability
ELSI 2019Gaël Choblet et Marine Lasbleis
Rey Juan Carlos UniversitySpain– geodynamics
– water resources and extreme events
– volcanology, gemorphology, geological hazards and Quaternary geology
Susan Conway 
AUA-Agricultural University of AthensGreece-Mineralogical-geochemical-spectroscopic investigations of mantle xenoliths, metamorphic rocks and meteoritic materials (martian and chondrite).Get in touch with the contact at LPGOlivier Verhoeven