For my thesis research, I am working to determine the role that water played at Gusev Crater (the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover rover Spirit, and add to our understanding of how ubiquitous (or rare) habitable environments are beyond our Earth. The Spirit rover has recently discovered bright sulfur- and silica- rich soils at Gusev Crater, and an interesting story of past water and aqueous alteration is beginning to be assembled. Similar deposits on Earth form in either high-temperature geothermal systems, where acidic steam has reacted with volcanic rocks and soils, or in longstanding bodies of surface and/or ground water that, through evaporation, have precipitated salty minerals. I am working to test these formation hypotheses under the guidance of Dr. Jim Bell, who is the Principle Investigator of the MER Pancam instruments.
You can hear me talk about my research on a recent Scientific American podcast.