Krishan Khurana is a planetary scientist working in the fields of space plasma physics and geophysical data inversion. He has worked on many theoretical and empirical investigations relating to plasma interactions of Venus, Earth, the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and many satellites of the outer planets. He also uses electromagnetic induction sounding technique to study the interiors of planets and satellites. Using this technique on magnetometer data from the Galileo spacecraft, he confirmed the presence of subsurface water oceans on the moons of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto and a magma ocean in Io. After obtaining a PhD on magnetohydrodynamic of rotating bodies from Durham University, U.K. in 1984, he joined the Earth, Planetary and Space Science Department of the University of California, Los Angeles where he is a currently a Senior Geophysicist. He is currently a co-investigator on Cluster, THEMIS, ARTEMIS, Europa Clipper (NASA) and JUICE (ESA) missions, the last two of which will investigate the atmospheres, surfaces and the interiors of the Galilean moons of Jupiter.
Khurana was an Editor of the Journal Icarus during the years 2012-2018. He also co-edited the book “Europa” published by Arizona University Press in 2009.
Khurana has advised NASA through committees such as the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX), the Planetary Decadal surveys 2003-2012 and 2013-2022, 2023-2032 (Executive committee) and the NRC committee on Solar and Space Physics (CSSP).
Khurana was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2011.