Facility for Research Observing Simulated Topography of Icy Environments

FROSTIE 

Simulating icy planetary surface processes in the laboratory

FROSTIE is a research laboratory that investigates how geomorphological processes - such as seasonal water and dry ice activity on Mars, cryovolcanism on Europa, and impact-driven volatile release on small bodies - shape planetary surfaces and reveal clues about environmental conditions, habitability, and landing-site integrity. While remote sensing has transformed our view of planetary surface dynamics, many processes occur under conditions unlike anything on Earth. Our lab recreates these extreme environments to study volatile–surface interactions, helping to explain the unique features observed across the solar system that are often unlike anything seen on Earth. As the lab is still in development, we include an AI image above to represent it!

Analyzing small-scale surface topography with the Keyence VHX-X1 digital microscope.

We are constructing two cryo-vacuum chambers. Our SANDIE (Simulation of Aeolian and Near-surface Dust-Ice Experiments) Mars chamber is a `sister’ of NASA JPL’s DUSTIE (Dirty Under-vacuum Simulation Testbed for Icy Environments) chamber. It is capable of simulating Martian atmospheric pressure, temperature and can be filled with Carbon dioxide to replicate its atmosphere in the present-day. The chamber will have a solar simulator mounted over it in order to study the Solid State Greenhouse Effect in ices under Mars conditions, as well as other seasonally-observed processes. Our SLUSHIE (Simulation of Liquid Under-ice Systems for Habitability and Ice Exploration) chamber will go to the lower pressure and temperature regimes expected at Europa’s surface during transient release of volatiles.

Our lab also has state-of-the-art instruments that allow us to make, store and analyze icy simulants, including a Keyence VHX-X1 digital microscope, Linkam cryostage, freezers, and cryopods. We leverage photogrammetric techniques to provide key insights to simulant properties, as well as small-scale morphologies driven by icy surface processes in the laboratory.

JPL’s DUSTIE cryo-vacuum chamber. SANDIE will have a similar size and capabilities

Lab Members

  • Lauren Mc Keown

    Principal Investigator

    Lauren leads the development of the FROSTIE lab and oversees ongoing experimental research. She is a planetary scientist, specializing in icy planetary geomorphology. She specializes in laboratory analog experiments of volatile phase-change driven surface change on Mars, icy moons and small bodies as well as remote-sensing image analysis, particularly relevant for change detection driven by seasonal behavior on Mars.

  • Césarine Graham

    PhD Student

    Césarine’s research interests are in astrobiology and planetary geomorphology. She is currently pursuing a Master’s and PhD in Physics on the Planetary Sciences track. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics with a minor in Mathematics at Michigan State University, where she researched modeling microbial habitability for exoplanets using the university’s High-Performance Computing Center.

  • Jamie Isen

    Visiting Research PhD Student

    Jamie is a Space and Electronics Engineer, and is currently a PhD candidate in Planetary Science at York University, Toronto. His specializes in spectroscopy of CO2 and H2O ices under simulated Mars polar conditions under vacuum, and how different ice morphologies affect their reflectance and spectral behavior, improving interpretation of spacecraft observations. Jamie is shown here with his dog, Darby, in Yukon, at the Mars Polar conference.

  • Ryne Deering

    Undergraduate research student

    Ryne is an undergraduate student conducting laboratory analog research involving simulant development and brine-simulant interactions under simulated planetary surface conditions. He is interested in the geophysical evolution and characteristics of rocky bodies and icy moons throughout our solar system. Currently, Ryne is currently focused on studying a spider-like feature within Manannán crater on Jupiter's moon Europa.