Aditya Das

I work in the field of planetary geology, focusing on aqueous alteration processes on Mars through the study of Martian meteorites and terrestrial analogue samples. I have experience working on mineralogical and geochemical investigations of water–rock interaction using petrography, spectroscopy, and geochemical modelling in order to understand alteration pathways, redox evolution, and secondary mineral formation, So that it provide insights into past environmental conditions that affected the Martian crust.

• Student Member, Indian Planetary Science Association
• Member, PRL Optica Student Chapter

• Dec 2015 – Ane Ghat & Nighoj, Pune: Introductory geology training on Deccan basalts and geomorphology.
• Nov 2016 – Bagalkot & Badami, Karnataka: Geological mapping and stratigraphy of the Kaladgi Basin.
• Jan 2018 – Rajasthan (Mt. Abu–Jodhpur–Jaisalmer): Regional geology and paleoenvironmental study.
• Oct 2018 – Chitradurga, Karnataka: Lithology and tectonic framework of the Dharwar Craton.
• Mar 2019 – Katraj Ghat, Pune: Mapping and characterization of Deccan basalt lava flows.
• Jan 2020 – Gondia & Nagpur: Mining geology and mineralization studies with AMD and IBM visits.
• Feb 2020 – Pabal Gaon, Pune: Hydrogeological fieldwork including pumping tests and VES surveys.
• Oct 2022 – Matanomadh, Kutch: Deccan basalt alteration and natrojarosite Martian analogue study.
• Jan 2023 – Botad, Gujarat: Altered picritic basalts as analogues to nakhlite meteorite alteration.

• Oral Presentation “Deccan basalts and their alteration scenario: Possible analog to phyllosilicate formation on Mars” — 3rd Indian Planetary Science Conference (IPSC), Ahmedabad, India, March 14–16, 2022.
• Oral Presentation “Secondary minerals in Nakhla meteorite: Implications for hydration of Martian crust” — 2nd National Conference on Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites: Messenger from Space (MetMess), Ahmedabad, India, November 24–25, 2022.
• Oral Presentation “Columnar Joints: A comparative study of Martian and Deccan Volcanic Province” — 4th Indian Planetary Science Conference (IPSC), Ahmedabad, India, March 2023.
• Poster Presentation “Meteorite found in Antarctica – Unlocking the aqueous history of Mars” — National Conference on Polar Science, Vasco-da-Gama, Goa, India, May 16–19, 2023.
• Oral Presentation: “Martian crustal alteration: A perspective from meteorite and terrestrial sample” — 3rd National Conference on Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites: Messenger from Space (MetMess), Ahmedabad, India, November 1–3, 2023.
• Oral Presentation “Unravelling Martian Paleoclimate through Clay Analysis: Perspectives from Meteorite and Terrestrial Samples” — National Space Science Symposium (NSSS 2024), Goa University, India.
• Oral Presentation: “Fractured Stories: Unveiling Olivine Alteration Secrets from Mars to Earth” — 6th Indian Planetary Science Conference (IPSC), IIT Roorkee, India, March 4–7, 2025.

• Poster Presentation “The Deccan Volcanic Provinces, India: Early Mars on Earth” — Deccan-Next International Conference, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India, October 1–5, 2023.
• Poster Presentation “Unraveling Martian Mysteries: Nakhlites as Key Proxies for Water Activity in the Younger Amazonian Epoch” — International Conference on Planets, Exoplanets and Habitability (ICPEH-2024), Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India, February 5–9, 2024.
• Oral Presentation “Nakhlites and Water–Rock Interaction: Alteration Processes in Martian Meteorites” — International Conference on Meteoroids, Meteors, Meteorites: Messenger from Space (MetMess), Ahmedabad, India, November 18–25, 2024.

•Das, A., Sarkar, S., Ray, D., & Sirvi, R. (2025). The Columnar Jointing in the Deccan ContinentalFlood Basalt, India: Implications as a Martian Analogue. Earth and Planetary Science, 4(1), 26-38. https://doi.org/10.36956/eps.v4i1.1652
•Das, A., Ray, D., Astha, B., & Bose, A. Contrasting olivine alteration scenario in the Deccan Continental Flood basalt, India: Implications for Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (JGR: Planets), (Accepted)•
•Ray, D., Sarkar, S., Das, A., Arora, G., Shukla, A. D., & Bhardwaj, A. (2025). The KopargaonLL5 chondrite: A new fall of monomict breccia from India. Journal of Earth System Science,134(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-024-02497-8
•Ray, D., Das, A., Sarkar, S., Bhattacharya, S., & Nayak, C. (2025). Natrojarosite formed in theMatanomadh Formation, Kutch, India; a Na analog of jarosite on Mars. American Mineralogist. https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2024-9360
•Srivastava, Y., Basu Sarbadhikari, A., Nair, V. M., Kumar, A., Kadlag, Y., Mahajan, R. R.,Srivastava, N., Panwar, N., Das, A., ... & Bhardwaj, A. (2025). Petrogenesis of the Rantila meteorite fall and implications for the origin of aubrites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14357
•Das, A., Sivaraman, B., Ray, D., Marhas, K. K., Shukla, A. D., & Bhardwaj, A. (2025). A NewMeteorite Fall from Khalwat-Limgaon Village of Wadwani Taluka in Beed District, Maharashtra.Journal of the Geological Society of India, 101(10), 1578-1580. https://doi.org/10.17491/jgsi/2025/174277
•Ray, D., Annadata, H. V., Sarkar, S., Ray, A., Das, A., Bhattacharya, S., ... & Ghosh, B. (2025).Mineralogy, VNIR (Visible Near-Infrared), and Fe XAS (X-ray Absorption) Spectroscopy ofTerrestrial Hematite Analogs: Implications for Iron Speciation on Mars. ACS Earth and SpaceChemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00160