Planetary surfaces display a wide variety of water-related phenomena and structures, ranging from surface deposits to permafrost and polar caps. Numerous geological and mineralogical lines of evidence indicate that, in past epochs, liquid water shaped the surface of several planetary bodies, giving rise to channels, deltas, and sedimentary formations, cryovolcano as well as to the formation of hydrated minerals (e.g. chlorites, smectites, sulfates, carbonates). On Earth, water is a key element in the evolution of environmental systems and represents a valuable paleoclimatic archive; similarly, investigating water-related processes on planetary bodies is fundamental for reconstructing their climatic history, assessing their habitability potential, and selecting targets of interest for future missions.

This session welcomes a wide range of contributions, including geological, geophysical, and compositional studies, mapping products, numerical modeling, and laboratory experiments, all focused on the study and detection of water on bodies of the inner Solar System such as Moon, Mars and Ceres, in preparation for future space exploration missions. The goal is to foster an interdisciplinary exchange of methods and results in view of upcoming robotic and human missions, with a focus on sites where water liquid, frozen, or mineral-bound represents the main scientific and operational target.