Experimental geochemistry and geochemical modelling of volcanic seepage on Mars

Polish Academy of Sciences; Polska; On-site; PLN 112,000 - 134,000; Full time

Job summary

The Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Wroclaw invites applications for a 12‑month postdoctoral position with potential extension up to 42 months. The project investigates whether Mars volcanism can be inferred from HCl interactions in a realistic Martian permafrost environment using experimental and numerical simulations.

The successful candidate will run experiments in the Mars simulation chamber, perform geochemical modelling, help plan Mars surface imaging, and

Job description

Organisation/Company Polish Academy of Sciences Department Space Research Centre Research Field Geosciences » Other Chemistry » Instrumental analysis Chemistry » Instrumental techniques Astronomy » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 6 Dec 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Warsaw) Country Poland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Apr 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number EXOMHYCL-1 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Context

Of the rocky bodies in the Solar System, we know that volcanic activity is ongoing on Earth, on Io (a satellite of Jupiter), and on Venus. Could Mars be the fourth one?

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) spacecraft has two spectrometer suites, ACS and NOMAD, which detect trace gases along vertical atmospheric profiles via occultation sounding. One of the objectives of the TGO mission has been to determine whether this technique can reveal the presence of gases of volcanic origin in the atmosphere, from which active volcanism would be inferred. Since 2019, at the beginning of the aphelion season ACS measurements have detected hydrogen chloride (HCl) molecules in the lower atmosphere, with a concentration increasing toward the surfaceabove the large rift system of Alba Mons, one of the giant volcanoes of Mars.

These detections are hardly explained by atmospheric chemistry. We argue that volcanic seeping provides the most plausible explanation for these HCl detections. The latest ground deformation occurred less than 1 million years ago, generating fissures that provide potential pathways for volcanic gases to reach the atmosphere.

In this postdoc, funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) of Poland, seepage seasonality will be investigated by experimental and numerical simulations of interactions between HCl of igneous origin in a realistic Martian permafrost environment and its release to the atmosphere, thus enabling us to propose a robust seepage mechanism.

The postdoc position is based at the Wrocław branch of the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, with long stays at the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Work

Guidance will be provided by Daniel Mège, Professor at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and one of the ESA Interdisciplinary Scientists of the TGO mission, and Vincent Chevrier, Research Associate Professor at University of Arkansas.

Specifically, the postdoc will:

• Conduct experimental simulations of HCl interactions in icy regolith using the Mars simulation chamber at University of Arkansas;
• Validate and constrain the results by performing geochemical modelling of HCl interactions with dust, rock and ice in the Martian shallow subsurface, with an emphasis on the seasonal modulation of HCl emissions inferred from TGO data;
• Contribute to targeting and acquisition planning of Mars surface images from the CaSSIS camera, identification of possible volcanic seepage sites on Mars, and their interpretation;
• Participate to Trace Gas Orbiter mission science working team meetings, where work updates will be presented;
• Present results every year at international conferences such as EPSC and LPSC;
• Publish the results in leading peer-reviewed journals;
• Contribute to disseminate the project results to the general public.

Period of employment: 12 months with extension up to a total of 42 months contingent upon satisfactory research progress.

Additional Information

• Access to all the TGO instrument science teams
• Gaining strong experience in presentation of results to international science conferences
• Net salary (after removal of income tax, social security and retirement pension contributions) is around 11 000 PLN/month
• Wrocław is a dynamic university city. Our research group is located in the pleasant setting of the Wrocław Observatory park.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Space Research Centre PAS Country Poland City Wroclaw Postal Code 51-622 Street Kopernika 11 Geofield

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences Country United States State/Province Arkansas City Fayetteville Postal Code AR 72701 Street 1 University of Arkansas Geofield