RESEARCH
My research considers geophysical processes across the Solar System, with an emphasis on how interior processes affect surface tectonics, impact basin evolution, and surface composition. Gravity, tectonic modeling, radar, optical photometry, and thermal imaging are incredibly useful tools for understanding deformation on Pluto, Venus, Earth, and comets.
Geomorphological Comparison and Geophysical Modeling of Sputnik Basin: Implications for the Interior Evolution of Pluto
Pluto from New Horizons
Credit: Nasa.gov
Moruzzi et al.., (2025) In Review
The New Horizons flyby of Pluto in 2015 lacked spatially resolved gravitational data, which has allowed for a variety of approaches for constraining the interior structure of Sputnik basin and of Pluto.
By comparing our derived pre-fill structure Sputnik basin to other large impact basin in the inner Solar System, I have shown that the basin is morphologically, topographically, and statistically consistent with a peak-/multiring basin, where the N-S trending chain of water-ice mountain blocks in the western half of the basin is the topographic expression of the inner ring. A peak-ring structure decreases the zone of expected crustal thinning beneath the basin by 35-40%, and the impactor diameter by ~38% (Moruzzi et al., 2023)
I used a novel approach to constrain the present-day compensation state of Sputnik basin. Assuming that the topography of the low viscosity nitrogen-rich ice deposit in Sputnik Basin conforms to Pluto's geoid, I use the topography to calculate the local gravity field over the basin. I then compare the modeled geoids to the observed topography, quantitatively determining best-fitting models based on the compensation state and elastic parameters (e.g. ice shell thickness). The results suggest that the basin is at most partially compensated and the basin is characterized by a present-day mass deficit. We can reconcile the past basin as a mass excess that was responsible for reorientation of Pluto through true polar wander and the present-day basin as a mass deficit if the uplifted subsurface ocean beneath the basin refroze over time (Moruzzi et al., 2025 In Review)
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I am modeling the refreezing and thermal evolution of the uplifted subsurface ocean beneath Sputnik basin to determine if this is a plausible theory. My fully explicit finite difference diffusion model includes important complexities such as porosity within the ice shell, time-dependent heat flux from the core, ammonia concentration within the ocean, and insulation from an overlying nitrogen ice layer and a subsurface clathrate hydrate layer. My results suggest that the ocean beneath the basin refreezes to within ~10% of the ice shell outside the basin, allowing the basin to evolve from a compensated to an uncompensated state (Moruzzi et al., 2025, In Prep).
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​Refreezing of the subsurface ocean beneath Sputnik basin should have resulted in stress and strain within the ice shell. I am utilizing a thin-shell deformation model to constrain the magnitude and orientation of the stress and strain induced by refreezing and comparing it that induced by loading within the basin, true polar wander, and global contraction due to cooling. Connecting these stress and strain fields to previously mapped tectonic features will help tell a cohesive story for the evolution of Sputnik basin and Pluto's interior (Moruzzi et al., 2026 In Prep) .
Moruzzi et al.., (2025) In Prep
Surface Properties of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
I created high resolution phase curves comparing radiance factors to observational geometry for four distinct morphologies on the comet using images from the OSIRIS NAC camera from ESA's Rosetta spacecraft. By fitting the phase curves to surface reflectance models, such as Hapke, 2012 phase function, I am able to constrain the surface properties of these morphologies and improve our quantitative understanding of cometary erosional processes and surface evolution. While comets themselves may not appear to have a direct impact on humankind, they contain organic materials and ice that will help us better understand the origin of life as we know it.
Comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimeno
Credit: ESA Image Archives
Tectonic Modeling of Vedma Dorsa, Venus
Venus
Credit: NASA.gov
I investigated thrust faulting mechanisms beneath ridge belts and how lithospheric composition and heat flux play a role in the deformation of the Venusian crust. This project relies heavily on geophysical modeling, relating my interpretation of the synthetic aperture radar data and cross-sectional topography to the complex processes that occur beneath the surface, and constraining fault parameters with the limited high-resolution data available The deformation on the surface may not be the result of a singular fault, but rather a thrust fault with additional complexities or a multiple fault system. I utilized ArcGIS and Coulomb 3.3 to map tectonic features, constrain parameters, and investigate stress concentrations. Our 2022 Icarus paper provides a more detailed look at this study
ASTER Remote Sensing of Latin American Volcanoes
Poas Volcano
Credit: Smithsonian GVP
Using ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emisson Reflection Radiometer) remote sensing data, I studied thermal anomalies at Latin American volcanoes as precursors to eruptions. I developed an in-depth understanding of how terrestrial volcanoes shape the surrounding regions, the most effective techniques used to monitor them, and ways to increase prediction capabilities that aid in the protection of neighboring populations. In addition to manually collecting thermal data, I was responsible for interpreting this data and recognizing patterns that can be useful in predictions. This project culminated in the publication of two co-authored papers (2019a, 2019b)