Ancient Seas, Magma Oceans, and Impact Basins: Geophysical Constraints on Planetary Evolution

Geophysical models are powerful tools for testing planetary evolution hypotheses motivated by spacecraft observations. In this talk, I present a synthesis of my work in planetary geodynamics through three recent research projects. First, I use surface loading models to reconstruct paleo-ocean levels on Mars, providing quantitative constraints on the geometry and timing of early Martian oceans. Second, I present new 3D numerical simulations of convection in a rotating lunar magma ocean, showing how hemispheric differences in heat flux can drive asymmetric flotation crust formation and explain the origin of the Lunar Asymmetry. Third, I discuss new modeling approaches for the collapse and post-impact evolution of large impact basins, and the importance of understanding such basins for upcoming Moon and Mars missions. Together, these projects illustrate how geophysical modeling, grounded in observational constraints from gravity, topography, and remote sensing, deepens our understanding of the processes that shaped terrestrial planetary bodies.