Lillian Rose Ostrach, PhD
Lillian R. Ostrach is a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center. Lillian earned a dual bachelor's degree in Geological and Biological Sciences from Brown University in 2007, a master's degree in Geological Sciences from Brown University in 2008, and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Arizona State University in 2013.
Prior to joining the USGS in 2016, she was a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Lillian is an active member of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera science team. Her research is focused on comparative planetology of airless bodies, with particular emphasis on the impact cratering process/products and volcanism on the Moon and Mercury. She uses a variety of integrated remote sensing datasets to conduct research, employing methods of impact crater measurements, stratigraphy, and geomorphology to infer the formation and evolutionary history of different terrains on the Moon and Mercury. In addition to her scientific research, Lillian greatly enjoys public outreach and education, frequently participating in both formal and informal events to increase understanding, appreciation, and excitement of planetary science to the general public.
Education
- Ph.D. 2013, Arizona State University; Geological Sciences
- Dissertation: Impact-Related Processes on Mercury and the Moon (Advisor: M.S. Robinson)
- Sc.M. 2008, Brown University; Geological Sciences
- Thesis: In Depth Analysis of Lobate Debris Aprons in the Northern Mid-Latitudes of Mars in an Attempt to Understand Their Formation, Evolution, and Developmental Processes (Advisor: J.W. Head)
- Sc.B. 2007, Brown University; Geological-Biological Sciences
- Honors Thesis: Formation and Evolution of Lobate Debris Aprons during the Late Amazonian on Mars: Evidence for Recent Global Climate Change (Advisor: J.W. Head)
General Research Interests
*Impact cratering processes and products on airless bodies including crater morphology, impact melt morphology, distribution, and assessment of melt-generation models, regolith generation and evolution, and relative and absolute dating using crater size-frequency distributions.
*Planetary volcanism, including timing of emplacement, mode of emplacement, and compositional variation for smooth plains regions on solid surface bodies.
*Comparative planetology of airless bodies using remote sensing data: Recent data sets, including those from active space flight missions, provide the opportunity to complete comparative geomorphological studies of the four main planetary processes (i.e., impact cratering, volcanism, tectonics, and gradation) at high-resolution and with orbital coverage that was previously unavailable.
*Methods-based applications to planetary remote sensing data: Integration of multiple remote sensing data sets for planetary geomorphological studies, development of new tools, methods, and techniques for the production of cartographic products and creation of high-precision, high-accuracy geologic maps, controlled mosaics, digital terrain models, and other products for the scientific community, improving methods and geospatial information system (GIS) techniques for processing and analyzing remotely sensed data and planetary-specific scientific analyses, including developing novel s
Science and Products
The lunar cratering chronology
Lunar mare basaltic volcanism: Volcanic features and emplacement processes
Assessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022
The Lunar Geophysical Network landing site science rationale
The scientific rationale for deployment of a long-lived geophysical network on the Moon
A Next Generation Lunar Orbiter mission
The role of the Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers (NextGen) group in lunar science and exploration
Applied lunar science on Artemis III in support of in situ resource utilization
Impact cratering of Mercury
The volcanic character of Mercury
Measuring impact crater depth throughout the solar system
Crater density differences: Exploring regional resurfacing, secondary crater populations, and crater saturation equilibrium on the moon
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 13
The lunar cratering chronology
This chapter provides an introduction to crater-size frequency distribution (CSFD) measurements and presents a review of the work performed on dating lunar geological units using CSFDs since the last New Views of the Moon volume (2006), including various volcanic and tectonic features, as well as individual impact craters. At the end of the chapter, implications for the new CSFD age determinationsAuthorsHarald Hiesinger, Carolyn H. Van der Bogert, G. Michael, N. Schmedemann, W. Iqbal, Stuart J. Robbins, B. Ivanov, J.-P. Williams, M. Zanetti, J. Plescia, Lillian R. Ostrach, James W. Head IIILunar mare basaltic volcanism: Volcanic features and emplacement processes
Volcanism is a fundamental process in the geological evolution of the Moon, providing clues to the composition and structure of the mantle, the location and duration of interior melting, the nature of convection and lunar thermal evolution. Progress in understanding volcanism has been remarkable in the short 60-year span of the Space Age. Before Sputnik 1 in 1957, the lunar farside was unknown, thAuthorsJames W. Head III, Lionel Wilson, Harald Hiesinger, Carolyn H. Van der Bogert, Yuan Yuan Chen, James L. Dickson, Lisa Gaddis, Junichi Haruyama, Lauren Jozwiak, Erica Jawin, Chunlai Li, Jianzhong Liu, Tomokatsu Morota, Debra H. Needham, Lillian R. Ostrach, Carle M. Pieters, Tabb C. Prissel, Yuqi Qian, Lei Qiao, Malcolm R. Rutherford, David R. Scott, Jennifer L. Whitten, Long Xiao, Feng Zhang, Ouyang ZiyuanAssessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022
The idea of mining the Moon, once purely science-fiction, is now on the verge of becoming reality. Taking advantage of the resources on the Moon is part of the plans of many nations and some enterprising commercial entities; demonstrating in-situ (in place) resource utilization near the lunar south pole is an explicit goal of the United States’ Artemis program. Economic extraction and sustainableAuthorsLaszlo P. Keszthelyi, Joshua A. Coyan, Kristen A. Bennett, Lillian R. Ostrach, Lisa R. Gaddis, Travis S. J. Gabriel, Justin HagertyThe Lunar Geophysical Network landing site science rationale
The Lunar Geophysical Network (LGN) mission is proposed to land on the Moon in 2030 and deploy packages at four locations to enable geophysical measurements for 6–10 yr. Returning to the lunar surface with a long-lived geophysical network is a key next step to advance lunar and planetary science. LGN will greatly expand our primarily Apollo-based knowledge of the deep lunar interior by identifyingAuthorsHeidi Haviland, Renee C. Weber, Clive Neal, Philippe Lognonné, Raphael Garcia, Nicholas Schmerr, Seiichi Nagihara, Robert Grimm, Douglas Currie, Simone Dell'Agnello, Thomas R. Watters, Mark Panning, Catherine L. Johnson, Ryuhei Yamada, Martin Knapmeyer, Lillian R. Ostrach, Taichi Kawamura, Noah Petro, Paul BremnerThe scientific rationale for deployment of a long-lived geophysical network on the Moon
This white paper focuses on the scientific rationale for deploying a global, long-lived network of geophysical instruments on the surface of the Moon to understand the nature and evolution of the lunar interior from the crust to the core.AuthorsRenee Weber, Clive Neal, Robert E. Grimm, Matthias Grott, Nick Schmerr, Mark Wieczorek, James D. Williams, Bruce Banerdt, Caroline Beghein, Peter Chi, Douglas Currie, Simone Dell'Agnello, Jared Espley, Raphael Garcia, Ian Garrick-Bethell, Heidi Haviland, Stephen Indyk, Catherine L. Johnson, Taichi Kawamura, Sharon Kedar, Philippe Lognonné, Seiichi Nagihara, Yosio Nakamura, Ceri Nunn, Lillian R. Ostrach, Mark Panning, Noah E. Petro, Matthew Siegler, Thomas R. Watters, Kris Zacny, S. Hop Bailey, Maria Banks, Donald Barker, Hannes Bernhardt, Valentin Bickel, Joshua T. Cahill, Jackie Clark, Dani DellaGiustina, Jesse-Lee Dimech, Andrew Dombard, Catherine Elder, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Marshall Eubanks, Kerri Donaldson Hanna, Jan Harms, Steve Hauck, Lon Hood, Jose Hurtado, Seth Jacobson, Devanshu Jha, James Tuttle Keane, Amir Khan, Walter Kiefer, Martin Knapmeyer, Brigitte Knapmeyer-Endrun, Krishan Khurana, Juan Manuel Lorenzo, Angela Marusiak, Patrick McGovern, Laurent Montesi, Francis Nimmo, Deanna Phillips, Jacob A. Richardson, Charles Shearer, Krista Soderlund, Sean C. Solomon, Tilman Spohn, Eleonore Stutzmann, Sonia Tikoo, Slava Turyshev, Dany Waller, Ryuhei Yamada, Maria ZuberA Next Generation Lunar Orbiter mission
The Moon is the scientific foundation for our knowledge of the early evolution and impact history of the terrestrial planets. Over the last decades the lunar science community has made significant progress in addressing key lunar science and exploration goals, while defining many new high-priority scientific questions regarding the formation and evolution of the Moon. On a broad scale, the last PlAuthorsTimothy Glotch, Lynne Carter, Pamela Clark, Brett W. Denevi, Benjamin T Greenhagen, G. Wes Patterson, Noah E. Petro, Kurt Retherford, Sarah Valencia, Joshua T. Cahill, Ryan Watkins, Kerri Donaldson Hanna, Catherine Elder, Harald Hiesinger, Georgiana Kramer, Timothy Livengood, Heather Meyer, Lillian R. Ostrach, Michael Poston, Morgan Schusterman, Matthew Siegler, Emerson Speyerer, Angela Stickle, Carolyn H. Van der Bogert, Daniel Moriarty, Lisa R. GaddisThe role of the Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers (NextGen) group in lunar science and exploration
Founded in 2008, the Next Generation Lunar Scientists and Engineers (NextGen) is a group of students and early career professionals who have a vision and passion for lunar science and exploration. NextGen organizes professional development opportunities through workshops and networking events that are designed to provide resources and training for scientists and engineers so that they are preparedAuthorsRyan Watkins, Lillian R. Ostrach, Sarah Valencia, Amanda Stadermann, Lora Bleacher, Noah E. Petro, Tess Caswell, Amy Fagan, Erica Jawin, Heather Meyer, Deanna Phillips, Hannah O'BrienApplied lunar science on Artemis III in support of in situ resource utilization
The Artemis Science Goals and Strategy are focused on basic or fundamental science, neglecting the vital field of “applied” geoscience that fits between “pure” science and engineering to provide near-term practical benefits for human activities.AuthorsLaszlo P. Keszthelyi, Kristen A. Bennett, Lisa R. Gaddis, Lillian R. Ostrach, Lauren A. EdgarImpact cratering of Mercury
No abstract available.AuthorsClark R. Chapman, David M. H. Baker, Olivier S. Barnouin, Caleb I. Fassett, Simone Marchi, William Merline, Lillian R. Ostrach, Louise Prockter, Robert G. StromThe volcanic character of Mercury
No abstract available.AuthorsPaul K Byrne, Jennifer L Whitten, Christian Klimczak, Francis M. McCubbin, Lillian R. OstrachMeasuring impact crater depth throughout the solar system
One important, almost ubiquitous, tool for understanding the surfaces of solid bodies throughout the solar system is the study of impact craters. While measuring a distribution of crater diameters and locations is an important tool for a wide variety of studies, so too is measuring a crater's “depth.” Depth can inform numerous studies including the strength of a surface and modification rates in tAuthorsStuart J. Robbins, Wesley A. Watters, John E. Chappelow, Veronica J. Bray, Ingrid J. Daubar, Robert A. Craddock, Ross A. Beyer, Margaret E. Landis, Lillian R. Ostrach, Livio L. Tornabene, Jamie D. Riggs, Brian P. WeaverCrater density differences: Exploring regional resurfacing, secondary crater populations, and crater saturation equilibrium on the moon
The global population of lunar craters >20 km in diameter was analyzed by Head et al., (2010) to correlate crater distribution with resurfacing events and multiple impactor populations. The work presented here extends the global crater distribution analysis to smaller craters (5–20 km diameters, n = 22,746). Smaller craters form at a higher rate than larger craters and thus add granularity to ageAuthorsR. Z. Povilaitis, M. S. Robinson, C. H. van der Bogert, Harald Hiesinger, H. M. Meyer, Lillian R. Ostrach - News