Observational and theorectical constraints on current venus volcanism from akatsuki UV and IR imaging one of the most exciting scientific objectives of the akatsuki mission is to look for and quantify…

This is a $273,608 grant awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to conduct research supporting the Akatsuki mission to Venus. The objectives of the research are to: 1) search for atmospheric signatures of current volcanism on Venus, 2) investigate the climate implications of volcanic outgassing rates, and 3) adapt Akatsuki data sets and previous Venus data for public display and interpretation through the Science on a Sphere platform. The grant leverages SwRI's expertise in Venus atmospheric modeling and climate research, as well as its public outreach capabilities through the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. This award is not a set-aside contract. SwRI, a prominent nonprofit research organization, has a long history of securing prime and subcontract awards from federal agencies like NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Observational and theorectical constraints on current venus volcanism from akatsuki UV and IR imaging one of the most exciting scientific objectives of the akatsuki mission is to look for and quantify active volcanism on venus. This will be accomplished by directly imaging the heat from volcanic flows or caldera lava lakes using the IR1 camera. We propose a complementary investigation that looks for the effects of current-day volcanism on the atmosphere and clouds. Akatsuki##s science instruments together can place an upper limit on the rate of volcanism, or perhaps even determine the current rate of volcanism. We propose to investigate the implications of this rate, and its plausible range, on the clouds and climate of venus. Since we bring our own atmospheric, outgasing, and surface chemistry models to bear on this question, there is a wonderful opportunity to share and compare ideas, models and data, on volcanism and venus climate with our japanese colleagues. In addition, we propose to integrate the akatsuki data sets on the premier public display system for spherical data, science on a sphere, and add older data from magellan, pioneer venus, galileo, and venus express. Ground-based telescopic images of the clouds will also be overlain for showing cloud motions. This package will be developed at the denver museum of nature & science, prototyped and displayed there, and disseminated to planetariums and science museums around the world. In order to play a meaningful scientific role in the akatsuki mission, this participating scientist project has three objectives: 1) search for atmospheric signatures of current volcanism 2) investigate the climate implications of volcanic outgasing rates 3) adapt akatsuki data sets, and previous venus global data for science on a sphere, for public viewing and interpretation. Objective 1 requires involvement with the UVI and dayside IR1 instruments to statistically analyze cloud top brightness distributions and correlate them with surface features. Objective 2 uses a climate model to study the effects of volcanic outgasing. Collaborator has similar models that he has used to study cloud-albedo feedback on venus and the stability of venus## climate. A primary goal in achieving objective 2 is for CO-isto compare venus climate model results with hashimoto. In some scenarios, our models have agreed, but in others, they predict different results for the evolution of venus## climate. IT will be highly fruitful to determine where our modeling approaches differ, and incorporate new data to improve these models to find consensus on issues such as the sensitivity of the climate to water vapor abundance, and the stability of venus## current climate. Objective 3 leverages CO-i extensive involvement in education and public outreach as curator of astrobiology at the denver museum of nature & science to bring akatsuki data to large audiences in the U.S. And japan.