HR: 10:20h
AN: SA52A-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Comparative Planetology Vision
AU: * Huestis, D L
EM: david.huestis@sri.com
AF: SRI International, Molecular Physics Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 95025 United States
AU: Bougher, S W
EM: bougher@umich.edu
AF: University of Michigan, AOSS/SPRL, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 United States
AB: The Earth, planets, moons, comets, and other small bodies in the solar system are quite diverse, yet share a number of characteristics. Each has something to teach us about the others and about the extra-solar planets we are now discovering. Having multiple examples of similar phenomena under different local conditions provides the best means of identifying the underlying mechanisms that govern the physical and chemical processes of these bodies and conducting a quantitative testing of our understanding. For many decades, attempts to characterize the processes needed to understand the Earth and planets provided a rich context that motivated development of new concepts and investigative techniques in many disciplines. More recently, however, the growing richness and sophistication of observations and models has led to increased specialization that diminishes the opportunities for taking advantage of stimulation and perspective from related disciplines. To build and document a shared vision we are organizing two Comparative Planetology workshops in late 2005 (with Fall AGU) and early 2006 (March in WDC) that will produce a formal report of recommendations for future actions. Some possible recommendations are: 1. Create a new Comparative Planetology AGU Focus Group. 2. Organize joint activities of multiple scientific communities/societies: AGU, AAS/DPS, LPSC, APS, etc. 3. Design a new instructional curriculum for a Comparative Planetology course or course sequence. 4. Create a new foundation-wide Comparative Planetology initiative at NSF. 5. Advise NASA on how the comparative approach can strengthen science return from space activities.
DE: 0300 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
DE: 2400 IONOSPHERE (6929)
DE: 2700 MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS (6939)
DE: 3300 ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES
DE: 6207 Comparative planetology
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005