Margarita Marinova
Ph. D. Candidate, Planetary Science

Mars analogue environments and modeling of physical processes based on field and spacecraft observations is the focus of Margarita's current work. As an undergraduate she studied Aerospace Engineering and focused on liquid rocket propulsion, which she later put into practice when working at EADS Space Transportation in Germany and testing a subscale Arian 5 rocket main engine nozzle.

Margarita is currently persuing her doctorate and studying very large impacts in the Solar System. Particurly, she has modeled large impacts into Mars and shown that the Mars hemispheric dichotomy - the difference in elevation and crustal thickness between the Northern and Southern hemispheres on Mars - may be explained by a single large impact (impactor diameter about 2200 km) early in Mars' history. She is also involved with the Pavilion Lake Research Project, where she is using year-round light and temperature measurements and modeling to look for a relationship between these physical factors, mineralogy, and microbialite morphology in the lake.

As part of the Arctic Spaceward Bound, Margarita will be investigating the mineralogy and trace elements in the carbonates precipitating out of the perennial springs on Axel Heiberg and investigating the newly found possible ancient springs.

Margarita's favourite spare time activity is travelling the world.