Donald D. Blankenship

Donald D. Blankenship is a Research Professor at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) within the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Holding a Ph.D. and M.S. in Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. in Physics from Eastern Illinois University, he specializes in planetary geophysics and ice sheet dynamics. His work focuses on exploring Earth's polar regions and extraterrestrial icy worlds, particularly Jupiter's moon Europa, through advanced radar techniques and subglacial lake studies.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., M.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • B.S., Eastern Illinois University

His research has contributed to NASA's Europa mission, Antarctic ice core site identification, and understanding subglacial hydrology. He leads innovative geophysical investigations relevant to planetary habitability and climate change. Affiliations include the Center for Planetary Systems Habitability and partnerships with the Bureau of Economic Geology.