Research Interests - SSI Center for Extrasolar Planetary Systems

Alexey A. Pankine
SSI Research Scientist

Dr. Pankine received his doctorate degree in Planetary Sciences from Caltech in 2001. In his dissertation he proposed a theory explaining why Martian global dust storms occur in some years, but not in the others. After Caltech he worked at a small company in Altadena, CA developing advanced concepts for planetary and earth exploration missions utilizing aerobots (robotic balloons). In 2008 he joined JPL as a postdoctoral scholar to study variability and global transport of dust and water in the Martian atmosphere. He joined Space Science Institute in 2011, where he continues his research on Martian water cycle, analyzing nighttime clouds and changes in the atmospheric water vapor using data from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer.