Kristen Bennett is a planetary scientist who studies the geology of the Moon and Mars using NASA spacecraft.
Kristen Bennett is a Research Space Scientist at the Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, AZ. Her research focuses on volcanism on the Moon and the sedimentary history of Mars. To conduct this work Kristen is part of NASA missions that obtain remote sensing data at the Moon and Mars and she conducts field work at terrestrial analogs on Earth. She primarily uses thermal, near-infrared, and visible remote sensing datasets to investigate planetary surfaces. Kristen is currently the Deputy PI of the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. She led the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover’s investigation in the clay-bearing Glen Torridon region, and she is a co-investigator on the Lunar-VISE payload suite that will land on the Moon to investigate a silicic volcanic feature in 2026. Previously Kristen has also worked on Mars Odyssey (THEMIS) and the Mars Exploration Rover (Opportunity). Kristen’s work on using terrestrial analogs to understand other planets includes field work in Iceland investigating glacial eskers to constrain the ancient Martian climate.
Professional Experience
2018 – present Research Space Scientist (USGS)
2016 – 2018 Postdoctoral Researcher (Northern Arizona University)
Education and Certifications
2016 Ph.D. Geological Science, Arizona State University
2011 B.S. Astrophysics, UCLA
Honors and Awards
2021 NASA Planetary Science Early Career Award
2021 Department of Interior Diversity Award
2020 USGS Diversity Award
Science and Products
Terrestrial Analogs for Research and Geologic Exploration Training (TARGET)
Relationship between explosive and effusive volcanism in the Montes Apenninus region of the Moon
Assessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022
Inclusive lunar exploration: Lunar Surface Science Workshop virtual session 13
Mars Science Laboratory CheMin data from the Glen Torridon region and the significance of lake-groundwater interactions in interpreting mineralogy and sedimentary history
Sedimentary organics in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars: Results from the SAM instrument suite and supporting laboratory analyses
Geology and stratigraphic correlation of the Murray and Carolyn Shoemaker formations across the Glen Torridon region, Gale crater, Mars
The distribution of clay minerals and their impact on diagenesis in Glen Torridon, Gale crater, Mars
The Curiosity Rover’s exploration of Glen Torridon, Gale crater, Mars: An overview of the campaign and scientific results
Orbital and in-situ investigation of periodic bedrock ridges in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars
Bedrock geochemistry and alteration history of the clay-bearing Glen Torridon region of Gale crater, Mars
Diagenesis of Vera Rubin ridge, Gale crater, Mars from Mastcam multispectral images
Temperatures of the Lacus Mortis region of the Moon
Science and Products
- Science
Terrestrial Analogs for Research and Geologic Exploration Training (TARGET)
The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science Center (ASC) recently established the Terrestrial Analogs for Research and Geologic Exploration Training (TARGET) program. This service-oriented program is built around the recognition that the Earth is a fundamental training ground for human and robotic planetary exploration, and that ASC is in a unique position in northern Arizona with... - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 19
Relationship between explosive and effusive volcanism in the Montes Apenninus region of the Moon
Lunar Pyroclastic Deposits (LPDs) are sites of explosive volcanism and often occur in areas of effusive volcanism on the Moon. On Earth, it has been observed that most volcanism has both effusive and explosive phases, whereas on the Moon, these two types of volcanism have typically been considered separately. We hypothesize that the relationship between explosive and effusive volcanism on the MoonAuthorsLori M Pigue, Kristen A. Bennett, Briony H.N. Horgan, Lisa GaddisAssessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022
The idea of mining the Moon, once purely science-fiction, is now on the verge of becoming reality. Taking advantage of the resources on the Moon is part of the plans of many nations and some enterprising commercial entities; demonstrating in-situ (in place) resource utilization near the lunar south pole is an explicit goal of the United States’ Artemis program. Economic extraction and sustainableAuthorsLaszlo P. Keszthelyi, Joshua A. Coyan, Kristen A. Bennett, Lillian R. Ostrach, Lisa R. Gaddis, Travis S. J. Gabriel, Justin HagertyInclusive lunar exploration: Lunar Surface Science Workshop virtual session 13
This report reviews and presents findings from the Lunar Surface Science Workshop Virtual Session 13: Inclusive Lunar Exploration. The report consists of a brief introduction to the workshop, followed by summaries of the six workshop sessions, and a synthesis section discussing seven key findings.AuthorsParvathy Prem, Kristen A. BennettMars Science Laboratory CheMin data from the Glen Torridon region and the significance of lake-groundwater interactions in interpreting mineralogy and sedimentary history
The Glen Torridon (GT) region is positioned in terrains with strong clay mineral signatures, as inferred from orbital spectroscopy. The GT campaign confirmed orbital distinctions with in situ measurements by the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, and the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument with of some of the highest clay mineral abundances to date. Additionally, GT is unique because of disAuthorsMichael T. Thorpe, T. F. Bristow, E. Rampe, Nicholas Tosca, John P. Grotzinger, Kristen A. Bennett, C. N. Achilles, D. F. Blake, S. J. Chipera, G. Downs, R. T. Downs, S. M. Morrison, V. Tu, N. Castle, P. Craig, D. J. Des Marais, R. M. Hazen, D. W. Ming, R. V. Morris, A. H. Treiman, D. T. Vaniman, A. S. Yen, A. R. Vasavada, Erwin Dehouck, J. Bridges, J.O. Berger, Amy McAdam, T. Peretyazhko, K. Siebach, A. B. Bryk, V. F. Fox, Christopher M. FedoSedimentary organics in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars: Results from the SAM instrument suite and supporting laboratory analyses
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite instrument on board NASA's Curiosity rover has characterized the inorganic and organic chemical composition of seven samples from the Glen Torridon (GT) clay-bearing unit. A variety of organic molecules were detected with SAM using pyrolysis (up to ∼850°C) and wet chemistry experiments coupled with evolved gas analysis (EGA) and gas chromatography-mass spectAuthorsMaeva Millan, Amy Williams, Amy McAdam, Jennifer Eigenbrode, A. Steele, C Freissinet, D. P. Glavin, C. Szopa, A. Buch, Roger E. Summons, J. M. T. Lewis, G. M. Wong, C. H. House, B. Sutter, O. McIntosh, A. B. Bryk, H. B. Franz, C. Pozarycki, J. C. Stern, R. Navarro-Gonzalez, R. H. Williams, D. P. Archer, V. Fox, Kristen A. Bennett, S. Teinturier, C. Malespin, S. S. Johnson, P. R. MahaffyGeology and stratigraphic correlation of the Murray and Carolyn Shoemaker formations across the Glen Torridon region, Gale crater, Mars
The Glen Torridon (GT) region within Gale crater, Mars, occurs in contact with the southern side of Vera Rubin ridge (VRR), a well-defined geomorphic feature that is comparatively resistant to erosion. Prior to detailed ground-based investigation of GT, its geologic relationship with VRR was unknown. Distinct lithologic subunits within the Jura member (Murray formation), which forms the upper partAuthorsChristopher M. Fedo, Alexander Bryk, Lauren A. Edgar, Kristen A. Bennett, Valerie K. Fox, William E. Dietrich, Steve G. Banham, Sanjeev Gupta, Kathryn M. Stack, Rebecca Williams, John P. Grotzinger, Nathan Stein, Dave Rubin, Gwenael Caravaca, Ray E. Arvidson, Madison N Hughes, Abigail A. Fraeman, Ashwin R. Vasavada, Juergen Schieber, Brad SutterThe distribution of clay minerals and their impact on diagenesis in Glen Torridon, Gale crater, Mars
Glen Torridon (GT) is a recessive-trough feature on the northwestern slope of “Mt. Sharp” in Gale crater, Mars with the highest Fe-/Mg-phyllosilicates abundances detected by the Curiosity rover to date. Understanding the origin of these clay minerals and their relationship with diagenetic processes is critical for reconstructing the nature and habitability of past surface and subsurface environmenAuthorsAmanda Rudolph, Briony H. N. Horgan, Jeffrey B. Johnson, Kristen A. Bennett, James Haber, James F. Bell, V. F. Fox, Samantha Jacob, S. Maurice, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Melissa Rice, Christina Seeger, Roger C. WiensThe Curiosity Rover’s exploration of Glen Torridon, Gale crater, Mars: An overview of the campaign and scientific results
The Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, explored the clay mineral-bearing Glen Torridon region for one martian year between January 2019 and January 2021, including a short campaign onto the Greenheugh pediment. The Glen Torridon campaign sought to characterize the geology of the area, seek evidence of habitable environments, and document the onset of a potentially global climatic transitionAuthorsKristen A. Bennett, Valerie K. Fox, Alexander Bryk, William E. Dietrich, Christopher M. Fedo, Lauren A. Edgar, Michael T. Thorpe, Amy Williams, Gregory M. Wong, Erwin Dehouck, Amy McAdam, Brad Sutter, Maeva Millan, Steven Banham, Candice C. Bedford, Thomas F. Bristow, Abigail A. Fraeman, Ashwin R. Vasavada, John P. Grotzinger, Lucy Thompson, Catherine O'Connell-Cooper, Patrick J. Gasda, Amanda Rudolph, Robert Sullivan, Ray E. Arvidson, Agnes Cousin, Briony H. N. Horgan, Kathryn M. Stack, Allan H. Treiman, Jennifer Eigenbrode, Gwenael CaravacaOrbital and in-situ investigation of periodic bedrock ridges in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars
Wind has been the dominant agent of landscape modification on Mars for the past ~3 billion years. Among the diversity of features formed by aeolian abrasion on the surface of Mars are periodic bedrock ridges (PBRs), a relatively recently recognized class of erosional bedforms on Mars for which Earth analogues are rare. Gale crater, the field site for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity roverAuthorsK. M. Stack, W. E. Dietrich, M. P. Lamb, Robert Sullivan, John R. Christian, Claire E Newman, Catherine O'Connell-Cooper, Jonathan W Sneed, Mackenzie D. Day, Mariah Baker, R. A. Arvidson, Christopher M. Fedo, Sabrina Khan, Rebecca Williams, Kristen A. Bennett, A. B. Bryk, Shannon Cofield, Lauren A. Edgar, V. F. Fox, Abigail A. Fraeman, Christopher H House, D. M. Rubin, Vivian Z. Sun, Jason K. Van BeekBedrock geochemistry and alteration history of the clay-bearing Glen Torridon region of Gale crater, Mars
Glen Torridon is a topographic trough located on the slope of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, Mars. It corresponds to what was previously referred to as the “clay-bearing unit”, due to the relatively strong spectral signatures of clay minerals (mainly ferric smectites) detected from orbit. Starting in January 2019, the Curiosity rover explored Glen Torridon for more than 700 sols (Martian days). The objAuthorsErwin Dehouck, Agnes Cousin, Nicolas Mangold, Jens Frydenvang, Olivier Gasnault, Olivier Forni, William Rapin, Patrick J. Gasda, Gwenael Caravaca, Gael David, Candice C. Bedford, Jeremie Lasue, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Kristin Rammelkamp, Marine Desjardins, Stephane Le Mouelic, Michael T. Thorpe, Valerie K. Fox, Kristen A. Bennett, Alexander Bryk, Nina L. Lanza, Sylvestre Maurice, Roger C. WiensDiagenesis of Vera Rubin ridge, Gale crater, Mars from Mastcam multispectral images
Images from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission of lacustrine sedimentary rocks of Vera Rubin ridge on “Mt. Sharp” in Gale crater, Mars, have shown stark color variations from red to purple to gray. These color differences crosscut stratigraphy and are likely due to diagenetic alteration of the sediments after deposition. However, the chemistry and timing of these fluid interactions is uncleAuthorsBriony H. N. Horgan, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Abigail A. Fraeman, Melissa Rice, Christina Seeger, James F. Bell, Kristen A. Bennett, Edward A. Cloutis, Lauren A. Edgar, Jens Frydenvang, John P. Grotzinger, Jonas L'Haridon, Samantha Jacob, Nicolas Mangold, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Frances Rivera-Hernandez, Vivian Z. Sun, Lucy Thompson, Danika F. WellingtonTemperatures of the Lacus Mortis region of the Moon
Over 11 years of data acquired by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment instrument aboard Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have been compiled into a comprehensive data set of surface temperatures in the Lacus Mortis region which includes the landing ellipse of the Astrobotic Mission One lander mission. These data provide diurnal brightness temperatures at 128 pixels per degree (ppd) spatial resolutiAuthorsJ.-P. Williams, Benjamin T Greenhagen, Kristen A. Bennett, David Paige, Nandita Kumari, Caitlin Ahrens, Lior Rubanenko, Tyler Powell, Parvathy Prem, David T. Blewett, Patrick Russell, Paul O. Hayne, Mark Sullivan - News