Deepak Dhingra

Dr. Deepak Dhingra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He holds a Ph.D. from Brown University (2014) and specializes in planetary geology. His research leverages remote sensing data to study surface morphology and composition of extraterrestrial bodies, including the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and Saturn's moon Enceladus.

Research Focus

His work integrates spectral, imaging, and topographic data to address fundamental questions in planetary evolution. Key themes include:

• Lunar Geology: Mg-spinel distribution, impact crater processes, polar volatiles.
• Planetary Surface Dynamics: Boulder falls, granular segregation on asteroids.
• Methodological Innovation: Machine learning applications for mineral mapping and data filtering.

Mission Involvement

• Chandrayaan-1: Scientist at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.
• Chandrayaan-2: Science team member for NASA/JPL/Brown University's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M³).

Academic Activities

He actively recruits PhD students and postdoctoral researchers for planetary science projects. His interdisciplinary approach bridges geology, data science, and space mission operations.

Additional Contributions

Beyond research, he engages in science communication through articles, blogs, and outreach initiatives focused on lunar exploration.