I'm a planetary geoscience graduate with experience in orbital data analytics and processing. I did my Master's through the Erasmus Mundus GeoPlaNet program — two years, four universities across Portugal, Italy, France, and Germany — and wrote my thesis on the geophysical investigation of Noctis Mons, a recently hypothesised volcano on Mars, at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Most of what I do sits at the intersection of satellite data, numerical modelling, and trying to figure out what's going on beneath a planetary surface. The short version: I process large orbital datasets, build analysis pipelines in Python, and turn raw binary files from space missions into something interpretable.

The main project:

• Surface reconstruction: Uses MOLA spherical harmonic topography (lmax=3000) and QGIS-sampled elevation data to reconstruct the pre-volcanic surface of Noctis Mons via RBF interpolation, estimate the uplift volume, and compare it against other Martian shield volcanoes.

• Subsurface radar analysis : Processes raw MARSIS binary .img files and PDS4 XML labels to extract and overlay radargrams and clutter simulations. Derives the dielectric constant of the subsurface from radar echo depth measurements and applies Stillman's two-component mixing model to estimate volume fractions of basalt and ice/void.

• Numerical plume modelling: Analytical elastic flexure modelling of plume-induced crustal uplift beneath Noctis Mons. Constrains mantle plume dimensions by fitting predicted surface deformation to the observed topographic signal.

Python stack: numpy, pandas, scipy, matplotlib, geopandas, pyshtools, scikit-learn
Geospatial: QGIS, ArcGIS, GDAL, rasterio, shapefiles, DEMs, WMS/SSH data retrieval
Other: SQL, LaTeX, IDL, Jupyter, Git

• Geophysical Investigation of Noctis Volcano on Mars using MOLA, MARSIS, and Numerical Plume Modelling — ESS Open Archive / DLR e-Library
• Inverted River Channels in Alcañiz: Insights into Mars' Fluvial History — EGU Tectonics and Structural Geology blog

I'm currently looking for roles in data analytics, business intelligence/consultancy, or geophysics/geospatial analyses — ideally somewhere the data is a relevant force shaping business strategy and driving growth. I'm comfortable working across disciplines and have spent the last two years doing exactly that: moving between planetary physics, numerical modelling, field geology, and remote sensing depending on what the problem needed.

📧 farisbeg.mirza@gmail.com | 📍 Berlin