Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) mosaic of the Gruithuisen (pronounced “groot-high-sen”) domes on the Moon. These unusual high-silica volcanic features are the target of the NASA Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) mission. USGS scientist Kristen Bennett is a member of the Lunar-VISE science team.
Kristen Bennett, PhD
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.
Science and Products
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...
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Mosaic of Gruithuisen Domes
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) mosaic of the Gruithuisen (pronounced “groot-high-sen”) domes on the Moon. These unusual high-silica volcanic features are the target of the NASA Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) mission. USGS scientist Kristen Bennett is a member of the Lunar-VISE science team.
Lauren Edgar uses a hand lens to identify minerals in a sample from a complex esker.
Lauren Edgar, a research geologist with the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, uses a hand lens to identify minerals in a sample from a complex esker in Iceland.
Lauren Edgar, a research geologist with the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, uses a hand lens to identify minerals in a sample from a complex esker in Iceland.
Researchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits.
linkResearchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits. The team used sedimentology, geochemistry, and remote sensing to characterize these features on Earth before comparing them to Mars.
Researchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits.
linkResearchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits. The team used sedimentology, geochemistry, and remote sensing to characterize these features on Earth before comparing them to Mars.
Science and Products
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...
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Mosaic of Gruithuisen Domes
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) mosaic of the Gruithuisen (pronounced “groot-high-sen”) domes on the Moon. These unusual high-silica volcanic features are the target of the NASA Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) mission. USGS scientist Kristen Bennett is a member of the Lunar-VISE science team.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) mosaic of the Gruithuisen (pronounced “groot-high-sen”) domes on the Moon. These unusual high-silica volcanic features are the target of the NASA Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) mission. USGS scientist Kristen Bennett is a member of the Lunar-VISE science team.
Lauren Edgar uses a hand lens to identify minerals in a sample from a complex esker.
Lauren Edgar, a research geologist with the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, uses a hand lens to identify minerals in a sample from a complex esker in Iceland.
Lauren Edgar, a research geologist with the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, uses a hand lens to identify minerals in a sample from a complex esker in Iceland.
Researchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits.
linkResearchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits. The team used sedimentology, geochemistry, and remote sensing to characterize these features on Earth before comparing them to Mars.
Researchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits.
linkResearchers from the USGS, NASA, and NAU gather around a small simple esker and ephemeral lake deposits. The team used sedimentology, geochemistry, and remote sensing to characterize these features on Earth before comparing them to Mars.