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About

C. Larigauderie is a key figure in planetary seismology, best known for their instrumental contributions to the InSight mission’s SEIS (Seismic Experiment for Internal Structure) instrument. Their primary research areas include the design and deployment of ultra-sensitive seismometers for extraterrestrial environments, the internal structure of Mars, and the analysis of Martian seismic activity. Larigauderie’s major contribution lies in the development and implementation of the Very Broad Band (VBB) seismometer, a six-axes instrument capable of detecting ground motions as subtle as atomic-scale vibrations. This work culminated in the landmark 2019 paper “SEIS: Insight’s Seismic Experiment for Internal Structure of Mars,” which has garnered over 375 citations and serves as the foundational reference for the mission’s seismic data. By enabling the first direct measurements of marsquakes and meteorite impacts, Larigauderie’s efforts have revolutionized our understanding of the Martian crust, mantle, and core. Their achievement is particularly notable for overcoming the challenge of deploying a highly sensitive instrument on a dusty, windy planet, marking a milestone 42 years after the Viking landers. For students and researchers, Larigauderie exemplifies how precision engineering and field deployment can unlock the secrets of planetary interiors.