GD
Geodynamics

Katherine Villavicencio

Katherine Villavicencio is a geologist and an astrophysicist who has worked as a geophysicist performing modelling, interpretation and field work. Currently, she is doing a PhD in planetary sciences where she is carrying out a research on the hyperspectral analysis of the surface of Ganymede linked to a geodynamic model of the melt migration within the outer ice shell. Katherine is part of the GD blog team as an editor.

Ice Ice Baby! Modelling the thermal evolution within the ice shell of Ganymede, Jupiter’s moon.

and August 7, 2024
Ice Ice Baby! Modelling the thermal evolution within the ice shell of Ganymede, Jupiter’s moon.
Thermal convection within the outer ice shell of Ganymede. Credit: Katherine Villavicencio.

Ganymede, one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter and the largest in the Solar System, has caught the scientists’ attention due to its potential for hosting life. The JUICE mission, launched from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana on 14 April 2023, is on its way to orbit and conduct experiments on the Galilean moons (Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto), with  particular emphasis on characterizing G ...[Read More]

Summer of ‘23: Chronicles of a summer school on meteorite and comet impacts.

and March 27, 2024
Summer of ‘23: Chronicles of a summer school on meteorite and comet impacts.
Exploring geologic formations along the Nördlingen Ries impact Crater. Credit: Attendees of the school.

One of the best-researched and preserved impact craters on Earth is the Ries Crater (Germany). Hikers, bikers, school groups,  and geo-tourists from all over the world come here in search for the evidence of the cosmic catastrophe. In this week’s blog post, PhD student Katherine Villavicencio from University G. d’Annunzio (Italy) shares her experience when attending the Summer School “Impacts and ...[Read More]

Alice in Depressionland

and September 13, 2023
Alice in Depressionland
Figure generated using Bing Image Creator.

Not all is about internal evolution of Earth and geodynamic processes. It is also important to make the space for ourselves to separate academic responsibilities and personal interests, in a way that equilibrate our health and make the develop of the PhD thesis “easier”. As it was described in previous blogs (as here and here), mental health matters during the PhD pathway especially when the illus ...[Read More]

Focusing on doing research or worrying about paying expenses?

September 14, 2022
Focusing on doing research or worrying about paying expenses?

Scientists and inventors like Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Nikola Tesla paved the road for generations of young people to pursue a career in STEM. Their curiosity underpinned their passion for science. Unfortunately, the bright side of something usually hides a dark side too. For example, Nikola Tesla struggled to find financial support for his experiments and inventions, often ending u ...[Read More]