Research Interests 

I use planetary geomorphological mapping paired with geodynamic computer modeling of icy worlds to better understand how the thermal and mechanical characteristics of ice shells affect topographic support and the mechanisms of transport within ice shells over geologic timescales. 

Modeling Icy Moon Geodynamics  💻  Topographic Support ⛰️ Creep Mechanisms in Ice 🧊 Clathrates 🌋 Cryovolcanism 🪐  Geomorphological Mapping of Moons 

  Scroll down for examples and links! 

Research Experience 

2025 – present  Assistant Researcher (HIGP,  University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

• Modeling the lithosphere and topography of chaos terrain on Europa

• Modeling the topographic relaxation of craters on Titan with clathrates

• Explaining Titan's global topography: modeling topographic support mechanisms
  
  

2022 – 2025   Research Associate, Affiliate Faculty (HIGP,  University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

• The Influence of Clathrates on Titan’s Thermo-Physical Behavior

• Modeling the topographic relaxation of craters on Titan with clathrates

2020 - 2022  Postdoctoral Fellow (Advisor: Sarah Fagents, HIGP,  University of  Hawai’i at Mānoa)

• NASA (NAI) Habitability of Hydrocarbon Worlds: Titan and Beyond Collaborator
  Calculating Titan's brittle-ductile transition. Modeling transport mechanisms and limitations of cryovolcanism. Mapped potential expressions of cyrovolcanism.

• Modeling the Formation of Gas-Driven Explosion Craters 
  Modeling the explosive release of methane trapped in destabilizing methane clathrates on Earth (Siberia) and Titan.
  
  

2012 - 2018 PhD Dissertation (Advisor: Andrew Dombard, University of Illinois at Chicago)

•  Mapped Titan’s radial labyrinth terrains and explored possible uplift mechanisms

•  Modeled the evolution and stability of titan’s large topographic loads

• Modeled the viscoeastic relaxation of impact craters on Titan

2011 - 2014   Mars Icebreaker Landing Site Selection (J. Heldmann, C. McKay - NASA Ames)

2010 – 2012  Titan Tholin Experiments (B. Khare, C. McKay - NASA Ames)

2010 – 2011  Undergraduate Senior Thesis on Exoplanets (G. Laughlin - UC Santa Cruz)

Publications

Schurmeier, L. and Fagents, S., 2025. “Titan's Lithospheric Strength Envelope and Brittle-Ductile Transition: The Importance of Crustal Pore Fluids, Organics, and Clathrates” JGR Planets, 130(9), https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009118.

*Brouwer, G., Schurmeier, L., Fagents, S., Bray, V., Neish, C., Costello, E., 2025. “Topographic Relaxation of Complex Impact Craters in a Clathrate Crust on Titan” The Planetary Science Journal, 6(9), 217.

Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G., Fagents, S., 2024. “Rapid Impact Crater Relaxation Caused by An Insulating Methane Clathrate Crust on Titan” The Planetary Science Journal, 5 (201), doi: 10.3847/PSJ/ad7018.  

*Brouwer, G., Schurmeier, L., Fagents, S., 2024. An Endogenic Origin for Titan's Rampart Craters: Assessment of Explosion Mechanisms” JGR Planets, 129, doi: 10.1029/2024JE008459

Schurmeier, L., Dombard,  2024 “Unrelaxed Craters Muddy the Waters of the Dwarf Planet Ceres” Nature Astronomy News and Views, 8, 1352–1353, doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02316-6

Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G., Fagents, S., 2024 “Formation of the Siberian Yamal Gas Emission Crater via Accumulation and Explosive Release of Gas Within Permafrost” Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 35(1), doi: 10.1002/ppp.2211.

Schurmeier, L., Dombard, A., Malaska, M., Fagents, S., Radebaugh, J., Lalich, D., 2023. “An Intrusive Cryomagmatic Origin for Northern Radial Labyrinth Terrains on Titan and Implications for the Presence of Crustal Clathrates ” Icarus, 404. doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115664

Schurmeier L. and Dombard, A. 2018 “Crater Relaxation Aided by Low Thermal Conductivity Sand on Titan” Icarus, 305, 314 – 323. doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2017.10.034

Lalich, D., Poggiali, V., Hayes, A., Mastrogiuseppe, M., Malaska, M., Schurmeier, L., 2022. “Diverse Evolution of Mountains on Titan as Observed by the Cassini Radar Altimeter” Icarus, 347. doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114775

Malaska, M., Radebaugh, J., … Schurmeier, L., et al. 2020 “Labyrinth Terrain on Titan” Icarus. 344. doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113764

Jarmak, S., Leonard, E., … L. Schurmeier et al. 2020 "QUEST: A New Frontiers Uranus Orbiter Mission Concept Study" Acta Astronautica, 140, 6-26.  doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.01.030

Heldmann, J., Schurmeier, L., Stoker, C., McKay, C., Davila, A. Marinova, M., Wilhelm, M. B. 2014 “Midlatitude ice-rich ground on Mars as a target in the search for evidence of life and for in situ resource utilization on human missions” Astrobiology, 14 (2), 102 -118. doi: 10.1089/ast.2013.1103

Abstracts and Presentations 

Schurmeier, L., and Brouwer G. Wakita, S., Soderblom J., Neish C., and Johnson, B. (2025) “Titan’s Methane Clathrate Crust Constrained by Combined Crater Impact and Relaxation Modeling” LPSC. 

*Brouwer, G., Schurmeier, L., Fagents, S. (2025) “Topographic Relaxation of Complex Craters in Titan’s Clathrate Crust” LPSC.

Wakita, S., Johnson, B., Soderblom J., Neish C., Schurmeier, L., and Brouwer G. (2025) “A Methane Clathrate Layer Yields Shallow Craters on Titan” LPSC.

Soderblom, J., Wakita, S., Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G, Johnson, B., Neish, C., Steckloff, J. K.  (2024) “Effects of Methane Clathrate on the Depth of Titan’s Craters” AGU. 

Neish, C., Wakita, S., Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G, Johnson, B., Soderblom, J. (2024) “Effects of Methane Clathrate on the Depth of Titan’s Craters” DPS 56th. 

*Brouwer, G., Schurmeier, L., Fagents, S., (2024) “Modeling Explosive Origins: Assessing Terrestrial Analogues for Titan’s Rampart Craters” Milos Planetary Analogues Workshop. 

Schurmeier, L., Fagents, S., (2024) “Titan’s Lithospheric Strength Envelope and Brittle-Ductile Transition Depths” LPSC Abstract #2231.

Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G., Fagents, S., Kay, J. P. (2023) "Titan’s Craters are Shallower than Ganymede’s: Is a Clathrate Crust the Culprit?" AGU.

Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G., Fagents, S., (2023) "Formation of the Siberian Yamal Gas Emission Crater via Accumulation and Explosive Release of Gas Within Permafrost" AGU.

Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G., Fagents, S., Kay, J. P., Marusiak, A., Vance S., (2023) “Crater Relaxation & Removal Caused by an Insulating Methane Clathrate Crust on Titan" LPSC (Talk).

*Brouwer, G., Schurmeier, L., Fagents, S., (2022) “Modeling Terrestrial Gas Emission Craters as Analogs for Titan’s Raised-Rim Depressions” LPSC.

Schurmeier, L., Brouwer, G., Fagents, S., (2021) “Explosive Gas Emission Craters on Earth: Possible Analog For Raised Rim Lakes On Titan” LPSC (Talk).

Lalich, D., Poggiali, V., Hayes, A., Schurmeier, L., Malaska, M. (2021) “Invisible Mounds: Observing The Earliest Stages Of Labyrinth Evolution On Titan With The Cassini Radar” LPSC.
 

*Brouwer, G., Fagents, S., Schurmeier, L. (2020) “Pressure-Driven Eruption of Liquid Reservoirs in Titan’s Ice Lithosphere” Fall AGU.

Lalich, D., Poggiali, V., Hayes, A., Schurmeier, L., Malaska, M. (2020) “New Observations Show the Earliest Stages of Titan’s Radial Labyrinth Terrain Evolution” Fall AGU.

Malaska, M., Schurmeier, L., Lopes, R., Schoenfeld, A., Solomonidou, A., Le Gall, A., Radebaugh, (2019) “Titan’s Radial Labyrinths” EPSC-DPS.

Jarmak, S., Leonard, E., Schurmeier, L., et al. (2018) “QUEST: A New Frontiers Uranus Orbiter Concept Study from the 30th Annual NASA/JPL Planetary Science Summer Seminar” OPAG.

Schurmeier, L. (2018) “Domed Labyrinth Terrains: What can they tell us about Titan’s ice shell?” Lunar and Planetary Institute (Invited Seminar).
 

Schurmeier, L., Dombard, A., Radebaugh, J., Malaska, M., (2018) “Intrusive and Extrusive Cryovolcanism and the Composition of Titan’s Icy Crust” LPSC Abstract # 2934 (Talk).

*Tremblay, S., Dombard, A., Schurmeier, L., (2018) “Global Lacunarity of Planetary Datasets: Methodology” LPSC Abstract #2460.

*Castillo, J., Dombard, A., Schurmeier, L., (2018) “Ceres’ Largest Craters: Age Analysis of Kerwan and Yalode” LPSC Abstract #2476.

Schurmeier, L., Dombard, A., Malaska, M., Radebaugh, J., (2017). “Are Titan’s radial Labyrinth terrains surface expressions of large laccoliths?” Fall AGU Abstract # 227212.

Malaska, M., Lopes-Gautier, R., Solomonido, A., Mitchel, K., Radebaugh, J., Schurmeier, L., Le Gall, A., (2017). “Is there a Laccolith Origin for Titan's Radial Labyrinths?” AOGS Abstract.

Schurmeier, L., Dombard, A., Radebaugh, J. (2016) “Titan’s Isolated Mountain Plateaus: Investigating Possible Support Mechanisms and Cryovolcanic Origins” LPSC # 2197 (Talk).

Schurmeier, L. and Dombard, A. (2015). “The Effects of Low Thermal Conductivity Sand on the Relaxation of Titan’s Impact Craters” LPSC Abstract # 2913.

Schurmeier, L. and Dombard, A. (2014). “Crater Relaxation Aided by Aeolian Infill on Titan” Titan Through Time Workshop (Talk). 

Schurmeier, L., Heldmann, J., et al. (2013). “Midlatitude Ice-Rich Ground on Mars as a Target in the Search for Evidence of Life and for in situ Resource Utilization on Human Missions” Fall AGU Abstract # P23F-1856.

*Student researcher that I helped advise.