Dr. Neeraj Srivastava
Associate Professor & Head
Planetary Remote Sensing Section (PRSS)
Planetary Sciences Division
Physical Research Laboratory
Ahmedabad - 380058, India
E-mail: [email protected], Telephone : +91-79-26314416

Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests:

Geological evolution of the Moon & Mars using remote sensing data
Planetary processes: Impact Cratering, Volcanism & Tectonism, Space Weathering
Imaging Spectroscopy for Remote Geochemical Analysis
Reflectance spectroscopy of Planetary samples and their Terrestrial analogues under planetary simulated conditions. A state-of-the-art laboratory has been established for conducting these experiments.

Awards & Honors:

Associate Editor, Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (JISRS), Springer Nature (Since May 2025).
LPI Career Development Award, 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, USA, March., 2013.
Best poster award for PLANEX Newsletter: An outreach to nuances of Planetary Sciences,National Space Science Symposium XVII, S.V. Univ., Tirupati, 2012.
Inaugural COSPAR Outstanding Paper Award for Young Scientists, Scientific Commission B, Earth - Moon System, Planets and Small Bodies of the Solar System, 37th COSPAR Assembly, Montreal, Canada, 2008.
Best paper award, for Spectral Reflectance Studies of Copernicus and Tycho craters on Moon,National Space Science Symposium XIV, Andhra Univ., Visakhapatnam, 2006.

Professional Experience:

23 years at PRL (Joined PLANEX program of ISRO at PRL in 2002 and initiated Planetary Remote Sensing for Geological Studies)

Educational Qualifications:

Ph.D.: Geology of Lowell crater region on the Moon: Analysis of Remote Sensing data, 2014, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee, India.
M. Tech.: Applied Geology, 2001, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee, India.
B. Sc.: Maths, Physics, Geology, 1997, Lucknow University, Uttar Pradesh.

Selected Publications:

N. Panwar, N. Srivastava, A. Yadav, M. Bhatt, C. Wohler, A. Bhardwaj,Volcanism along the rings of the Crisium Basin on the Moon: Insights from M3 Onboard Chandrayaan 1. 438, 2025 1166412025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116641.
N. Panwar, N. Srivastava, Scaliger Crater Region on the Moon: Implications for the Australe North Basin and magmatism in the region, Icarus, 408, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115841
R. Nath, S. Mali, K. Denesh, A. Verma, A. Kumar, R.R. Mahajan, A.B. Sarbadhikari, M.E. Varela, S.A. Eghamberdiev, T. Kapadia, N. Srivastava, Classifying meteorites with MetNet: A deep learning approach using reflectance spectroscopy. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 60, 1063-1072, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14342
R. Sinha, N. Panwar, N. Srivastava et al.,Primitive lunar mantle materials at the Chandrayaan-3 landing site. Communications Earth & Environment, 6, Article number: 321, 25 April 2025, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02305-1.
S. Vadawale, , N.P.S Mithun, M. Shanmugam, A.B. Sarbadhikari, R.K. Sinha, M. Bhatt, Vijayan S., N. Srivastava, +28, Chandrayaan-3 APXS elemental abundance measurements at lunar high latitude. Nature, 633(8029), 327-331, 2024, 10.1038/s41586-024-07870-7.
R. Sharma, N. Srivastava, Detection and classification of potential caves on the flank of Elysium Mons, Mars. Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA), 22,6 2022 doi: 10.1088/1674-4527/ac684f.
T. Singh, N. Srivastava, M. Bhatt, A. Bhardwaj, Geology of the Cruger - Sirsalis Basin: Evidence for prolonged volcanism in the southwestern near side of the Moon. Icarus, 376, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114875.
R. R. Bharti, I.B. Smith, S.K. Mishra, N. Srivastava, S. H. Shukla, SHARAD detection of sedimentary infilling within an unnamed crater near Mangala Fossa region, Mars, Icarus, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114713.
T. Singh and N. Srivastava, Geology of Grimaldi Basin on the Moon: Evidence for volcanism and tectonism during the Copernican period, Icarus, 351, 2020, 113921, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113921.
R. Sinha, S. Vijayan, M. Bhatt, Harish, N. Kumari, N. Srivastava, I. Varatharajan, D. Ray, C. Woehler, A. Bhardwaj, Geological characterization of Chandrayan-2 landing site in the southern high latitudes of the Moon, Icarus, 337, 113449, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113449.
R. Sharma, N. Srivastava, S.K. Yadav, Resource potential and planning for exploration of the Hebrus Valles, Mars, Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA), 19, 8, 2019, DOI: 10.1088/1674-4527/19/8/116
N. Srivastava,Young volcanism on the Moon.Encyclopedia of Lunar Science, Springer, Editor: Brian Cudnik, ISBN: 978-3-319-05546-6, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_30-1, 2018.
N. Srivastava, and I. Varatharajan, Geomorphology of Lowell crater region on the Moon, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2015.11.013, Icarus 266, 44 - 56, 2016.
P. Chauhan, P. Kaur, N. Srivastava, R. Sinha, N. Jain, S.V.S. Murty, "Hyper-spectral remote sensing of planetary surfaces: an insight into composition of inner planets and small bodies in the solar system" Current Science ,108, 5, 1041- 1046, 2015.
N. Bhandari and N. Srivastava, Active Moon: Evidences from Chandrayaan-1 and the proposed Indian missions,https://doi.org/10.1186/s40562-014-0011-y Geoscience letters 2014, 1:11, 2014.
R. P. Gupta, N. Srivastava, R. K. Tiwari, "Evidences for relatively new volcanic flows on the Moon" Current Science , 107, 3, 454-460, 2014.
I. Varatharajan, N. Srivastava, S.V.S. Murty, "Mineralogy of young lunar mare basalts: Assessment of temporal and spatial heterogeneity using M3 data from Chandrayaan-1",https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.03.045, Icarus ,236,56 - 71, 2014.
N. Srivastava, D. Kumar, R. P. Gupta, "Young viscous flows in the Lowell crater of Orientale basin, Moon: Impact melts or volcanic eruptions?", Planetary & Space Science, 87, 37-45, 2013.
R. P. Gupta, R. K. Tiwari, V. Saini, N. Srivastava, "A simplified approach for interpreting principle component images", Advances in Remote Sensing, 2, 111 - 119, 2013.
P. Chauhan, P. Kaur, N. Srivastava, S. Bhattacharya, Ajai, A.S. Kiran Kumar and J.N. Goswami, "Compositional and Morphological analysis of high resolution remote sensing data over central peak of Tycho crater on the Moon: Implications for understanding lunar interior", Current Science., 102, 7, 1041- 1046, 2012.
N. Srivastava, "Titanium Estimates of the Central Peaks of Lunar Craters: Implications for Sub-Surface Lithology of Moon", Adv. Space Res., 42/2, 281-284, 2008,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2007.11.001
N. Bhandari, V. Adimurthy, D. Banerjee, N. Srivastava and D. Dhingra "Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Polar Orbiter: Science goals and Payloads", Proc. International Lunar Conference 2003/ ILEWG 5, 16-22 November, Hawaii, American Astronautical Society, 33-42, 2004.