Project Overview
Polar and Planetary Research: Ancient ice, modern planetary analogs, and brines on the edge of habitability
Department(s)
Earth and Environmental Geosciences
Abstract
How do water, rock, salt, and ice combine to make habitable conditions in modern Antarctic permafrost, debris-covered glaciers, and modern hydrothermal systems? Students working on this project will help examine sediments returned from the field in Antarctica to measure soil properties that will reveal how polar soils connect to global biogeochemical processes, including chemical weathering and the carbon cycle. Students will also join fieldwork exploring the search for water in Mars-analog desert landscapes in Oregon. We will use drone-borne imagers and geophysical sensors to measure soil moisture in support of the next generation Mars helicopter. Finally, we will work with an international team of collaborators to search for ancient ice on Mars and in Antarctica that could be a future exploration resource.
Student Qualifications
1 GEOL class. GIS expereince preferred, but not required.
Project Length
8 weeks
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