Prof. Gaia Stucky de Quay

Professor Stucky de Quay’s research focuses on exploring topographic signals and landscape evolution, in order to both deconvolve and quantify primary driving forces such as tectonics, climate, and local geological processes across various timescales and planetary surfaces, whether on Earth, Mars, or beyond. Her work is guided by several interrelated questions: What drives landscape evolution? Are fluvial systems a reliable proxy for climate? Can we use the relationships we see on Earth to decipher the ancient Mars hydroclimate? Can we go a step further and shed light on enigmatic surface processes we see on Titan or other icy moons?

She sees that two of the greatest challenges today’s geoscientists face are (1) addressing impending climate change and (2) paving the way for planetary exploration. An improved quantitative understanding of surface processes around us is fundamental to inform relationships between the litho-, hydro-, atmo-, and bio-spheres. To investigate these subjects, she integrates fieldwork, lab work, modelling, and remote sensing. “My philosophy centers on finding compelling geological sites—either remotely or in situ—with significant potential to bridge knowledge gaps, and employing a wide variety of multi-disciplinary techniques to generate novel, impactful science results,” she says. In the long-term, Stucky de Quay will work to understand the driving forces behind these changes, whether they are climatic or tectonic in origin.