Michael Sori

Research Areas

• Planetary Science

Education

• 2014, PhD, Planetary Science, MIT
• 2008, BA, Physics, Duke University
• 2008, BS, Mathematics, Duke University

Recent Classes Taught

• EAPS 58000, Geodynamics
• EAPS 59100, Inner Planets: Mercury and Venus
• EAPS 35400, Plate Tectonics/Earth and Planetary Geophysics

Research Interests

Dr. Sori and his research group broadly study planetary geophysics of the solid worlds in the Solar System, including Mars, the Moon, Ceres, icy satellites, and more. Specific topics of interest include planetary interiors, volcanism and cryovolcanism, planetary surfaces, and icy processes. Dr. Sori and his group also study how best to conduct future geophysics-themed exploration of our Solar System with spacecraft missions.

Selected Awards

• NASA Planetary Science Early Career Award
• Teaching Honor Roll, Purdue University
• NASA RHG Exceptional Achievement for Science Award: The Dawn Science Team, Ceres encounter
• University of Arizona Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award
• NASA RHG Exceptional Achievement for Science Award: The LRO Science Mission Team

Selected Mentorship

• Mariana Blanco-Rojas, PhD advisor
• Stephanie Menten, PhD advisor
  
• Ian Pamerleau, PhD advisor
• Abbey Dunnigan, PhD advisor
• Brianne Checketts, PhD advisor
• Kristel Izquierdo, Postdoctoral research advisor (2021–2024)

Selected Publications

(see Google Scholar page or Research Group website for full list)

* = shared first-authorship

• Sori, M.M., P. Becerra, J. Bapst, S. Byrne, and R.A. McGlasson (2022), Orbital forcing of Martian climate revealed in a south polar outlier ice deposit , Geophys. Res. Lett. 49, e2021GL0
• Castillo-Rogez, J., J. Brophy, K. Miller, M.M. Sori , J. Scully, L. Quick, R. Grimm, M. Zolensky, M. Bland, D. Buczkowski, C. Raymond, A. Hendrix, T. Prettyman, Y. Sekine, T. Titus, D. Williams, P. Backes, L. Barge, A. Ermakov, S. Moreland, and K. Zacny (2022), Concepts for the future exploration of dwarf planet Ceres’ habitability , Planet. Sci. J 3, 41.
• Izquierdo, K., M.M. Sori , J.M. Soderblom, B.C. Johnson, and S.E. Wiggins (2021), Lunar megaregolith structure revealed by GRAIL gravity data , Geophys. Res. Lett. 48, e2021GL095978.
• Sori, M.M. (2021), Can Triton’s internal heat be inferred from its ice cap? Geophys. Res. Lett 48, e2020GL090518.
• Scully, J.E.C., P.M. Schenk, J.C. Castillo-Rogez, D.L. Buczkowski, D.A. Wiliams, J.H. Pasckert, K.D. Duarte, V.N. Romero, L.C. Quick, M.M. Sori , M.E. Landis, C.A. Raymond, A. Neesemann, B.E. Schmidt, H.G. Sizemore, and C.T. Russell (2020), The varied sources of faculae-forming brines in Ceres’ Occator crater emplaced via hydrothermal brine effusion , Nature Communications 11, 3680.
• Park, R.S., A.S. Konopliv, A.I. Ermakov, J.C. Castillo-Rogez, R.R. Fu, K.H.G. Hughson, T.H. Prettyman, C.A. Raymond, J.E.C. Scully, H.G. Sizemore, M.M. Sori , A.T. Vaughan, G. Mitri, B.E. Schmidt, and C.T. Russell (2020), Evidence of non-uniform crust of Ceres from Dawn’s high-resolution gravity data , Nature Astronomy 4, 748–755.
• Johnson, B.C., M.M. Sori , and A.J. Evans (2020), Ferrovolcanism on metal worlds and the origin of pallasites , Nature Astronomy 4, 41–44 .
• Bland, M.T., D.L. Buczkowski, H.G. Sizemore, A.I. Ermakov, S.D. King, M.M. Sori , C.A. Raymond, J.C. Castillo-Rogez, and C.T. Russell (2019), Dome formation on Ceres by solid-state flow analogous to terrestrial salt tectonics , Nature Geoscience 12, 797–801.
• Sori, M.M. * and A.M. Bramson* (2019), Water on Mars, with a grain of salt: Local heat anomalies are required for basal melting of ice at the south pole today , Geophys. Res. Lett. 46, 1222–1231. (*Both authors contributed equally)
• Sori, M.M., H.G. Sizemore, S. Byrne, A.M. Bramson, M.T. Bland, N.T. Stein, and C.T. Russell (2018), Cryovolcanic rates on Ceres revealed by topography , Nature Astronomy 2, 946–950. Featured in Nature Astronomy News & Views.
• Sori, M.M. (2018), A thin, dense crust for Mercury , Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 489, 92–99.
• Sori, M.M. , P.B. James, B.C. Johnson, J.M. Soderblom, S.C. Solomon, M.A. Wieczorek, and M.T. Zuber (2018), Isostatic compensation of the lunar highlands , J. Geophys. Res. Planets 123, 646–665.
• Sori, M.M. , J.N. Bapst, A.M. Bramson, S. Byrne, and M.E. Landis (2017), A Wunda-full world? Carbon dioxide ice deposits on Umbriel and other Uranian Moons , Icarus 290, 1–13.
• Neumann, G.A., M.T. Zuber, D.E. Smith, M.A. Wieczorek, J.W. Head, D.M.H. Baker, S.C. Solomon, D.E. Smith, F.G. Lemoine, E. Mazarico, T.J. Sabaka,
  S. Goossens, H.J. Melosh, R.J. Phillips, S.W. Asmar, A.S. Konopliv, J.G. Williams, M.M. Sori , J.M. Soderblom, K. Miljkovic, J.C. Andrews-Hanna, F. Nimmo, and W.S. Kiefer (2015), Lunar Impact Basins Revealed by Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Measurements , Science Advances 1.