Alexey Pankine

Senior Research Scientist
Arcadia, CA

Education

Ph.D. Caltech, 2001

I received my doctorate degree in Planetary Sciences from Caltech in 2001. In my dissertation I proposed a theory explaining why Martian global dust storms occur in some years, but not in the others. After Caltech I worked at a small company in Altadena, CA developing advanced concepts for planetary and earth exploration missions utilizing aerobots (robotic balloons). In 2008 I joined JPL as a postdoctoral scholar to study variability and global transport of dust and water in the Martian atmosphere. I joined Space Science Institute in 2011, where I continue my research on Martian water cycle, analyzing nighttime clouds and changes in the atmospheric water vapor using data from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer. I live in Arcadia, CA (just east Pasadena). I enjoy reading, watching movies, going to the beach, hiking and playing soccer.