Planetary Sciences Division carries out advanced research on geology & geophysics of terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and the Moon for understanding the origin and evolution of the inner Solar System planets and the Moon. Our research includes understanding of impact cratering, tectonics, volcanism, sedimentary and geodynamic processes that shaped the terrestrial planets and the Moon. Geophysical research involving state-of-the-art seismology, gravity, and magnetic studies are performed for understanding the interior structure of the Moon and Mars. Our ongoing and future research covers two major areas: (1) the study of planetary geological records, deciphering geologic history, and geodynamic processes; (2) the study of planetary interiors – composition, geophysical properties and the nature of internal layers using geophysical methods, including theoretical simulations. We undertake study of terrestrial analog sites on Earth that have important implications for planetary exploration. We aim at establishing a geophysical laboratory on the Moon in the future.

Our research in the last two decades made important contributions. The structural analysis of Thetis and Ovda regions of Venus revealed a continental scale strike-slip ductile duplex strikingly similar to deep crustal ductile shear zones on Earth. A detailed geologic map of the Venusian Lada Terra region at a scale of 1:5,000,000 was published by the USGS-NASA. On Mars, a decadal study of Tharsis volcanic mountain - the largest in the Solar System, led to mapping of >23000 new boulder falls and young fault systems that suggest entire Tharsis may be seismically shaking. Active mantle plumes beneath Tharsis lithosphere and sub-crustal magma underplating caused long-lived and continual volcanism in the last 500 million years. Our study of lunar polar regions led to a discovery of hundreds of new lobate scarps (thrust faults) and formation ages in the last 100 million years and potential seismic hazard zones around these faults. An extensive study of boulder falls and their characterization in and around Orientale, Schrödinger and Lorentz basins showed that these impact basins are seismically active. We also discovered new volcanoes and young lava flows from Antoniadi basin, near the lunar south pole. Our study of lunar Censorinus crater provided important insights into the impact trajectory, impact angle, and spallation processes that produced lakhs of ejecta boulders around this crater. A NGRI-ISRO joint study of the Japanese SLIM mission landing site offered important new knowledge about the source, composition and origins of boulders that are investigated by the lander payloads. Our detailed geological and geophysical study of Lonar crater – the only impact crater formed in basalt on Earth, provided a new knowledge about the origin of impact deformational structures, impact fragmentation of basaltic target and 3D geophysical sub-surface image of impact damage zone beneath the crater. Our study of gullies and landslides on the Moon and Mars also provided new insights into the recent planetary surface changes. We significantly contributed to the scientific analysis of datasets collected by the ISRO’s planetary missions to the Moon and Mars. Our research findings were published in internationally reputed journals such as JGR, GRL, EPSL and Icarus etc., and a few papers featured as cover pages in these journals and popular news items both in national and international news media.