Leah Sacks

Leah is a JPL Postdoctoral Fellow working with Erin Leonard on geology and change detection on Europa. She obtained her PhD in Geology and Planetary Science working with Catherine Neish on surface processes of Saturn’s icy moons at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. In contrast, her MSc focused on Martian impact cratering processes, which she also completed at the University of Western Ontario.

As a post-doc, Leah focuses on exploring Europa’s surface using instruments from the Juno and Galileo missions. Working with multiple datasets allows for comparison of surface features over time and over different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. She is seeking any evidence of change or activity on the surface of Europa and a better understanding of the moon’s geologic history.

Leah’s general research interests are focused on understanding surface processes on multiple bodies in the solar system. Specifically, change detection and surface processes over time, as well as the causes and effects of tectonic forces on planetary bodies. Leah’s expertise lies in geologic analysis and image processing, with a history of connecting in-situ Earth-based understanding to remote-sensing science. As a postdoc, she hopes to expand her research further into tectonics and multi-spectral image work.