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David Rothery's OpenLearn Profile

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Profile: David Rothery

David Rothery

Biography

Professor David Rothery is a volcanologist and planetary scientist at The Open University, where he is Professor of Planetary Geosciences within the School of Physical Sciences. He chairs modules in level 2 planetary science, and previously chaired level 1 volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, and was the lead educator in the Moons MOOC. Professor David Rothery is a volcanologist and planetary scientist at The Open University, where he is Professor of Planetary Geosciences within the School of Physical Sciences. In 2006 he was appointed UK Lead Scientist on MIXS (Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer) on the European Space Agency mission to Mercury (which was launched in 2018, with arrival late in 2025). His research interests centre on the study of volcanic activity by means of remote sensing, and volcanology and geoscience in general on other planets. Books include Moons: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press), Planets: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press), Geology: The Key Ideas [Teach Yourself Geology] (Hodder Education), Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis (Hodder Education), Planet Mercury: From Pale Pink Dot to Dynamic World (Springer-Praxis).