Ryan Bradley Anderson
Ryan Anderson is a planetary scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center and science team member on the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rover missions.
Ryan attended the University of Michigan, where he double majored in Physics and Astronomy, and Cornell University where received his PhD in Planetary Science. He conducted a detailed study of Gale crater, the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory Rover (MSL), and is a member of the ChemCam instrument science team. Ryan is also a member of the science team on the SuperCam instrument on the Perseverance rover. His work with ChemCam and SuperCam focuses on improving the accuracy of the chemistry measurements made by the instruments. In addition to his research and mission operations, Ryan is passionate about communicating science to the public, and serves as Communication Lead for the Astrogeology Science Center. He enjoys teaching and public speaking and for several years ran a planetary science-themed blog called The Martian Chronicles, which was one of the founding blogs of the American Geophysical Union blogosphere. That blog evolved into a group blog hosted by NASA JPL that shares updates on what the Curiosity rover is currently doing.
Professional Experience
February 2021 - Present: Perseverance Mars rover operations
September 2014 - Present: Physical Scientist, USGS Astrogeology Science Center
July 2014 - Present: SuperCam science team member (Perseverance Mars rover)
August 2012 - Present: Curiosity Mars rover operations
January 2012 - Present: ChemCam science team member (Curiosity Mars rover)
January 2012 - September 2014: Shoemaker Postdoctoral Fellow, USGS Astrogeology Science Center
2007 - 2014: Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission operations (Pancam Payload Downlink Lead)
Education and Certifications
PhD, Astronomy (Geology minor), Cornell University, 2012
B.S., Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Michigan, 2006
B.S., Physics, University of Michigan, 2006
Science and Products
Basalt–trachybasalt samples in Gale Crater, Mars
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover Mastcam instruments: Preflight and in-flight calibration, validation, and data archiving
Shaler: in situ analysis of a fluvial sedimentary deposit on Mars
Diagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars
Recalibration of the Mars Science Laboratory ChemCam instrument with an expanded geochemical database
Improved accuracy in quantitative laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using sub-models
Chemistry of diagenetic features analyzed by ChemCam at Pahrump Hills, Gale crater, Mars
ChemCam activities and discoveries during the nominal mission of the Mars Science Laboratory in Gale crater, Mars
The potassic sedimentary rocks in Gale Crater, Mars, as seen by ChemCam Onboard Curiosity
Composition of conglomerates analyzed by the Curiosity rover: Implications for Gale Crater crust and sediment sources
ChemCam results from the Shaler outcrop in Gale crater, Mars
Evidence for outcrop-scale deformation band faults on Mars from Curiosity rover imagery
Science and Products
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 29
Basalt–trachybasalt samples in Gale Crater, Mars
The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, observed numerous igneous float rocks and conglomerate clasts, reported previously. A new statistical analysis of single‐laser‐shot spectra of igneous targets observed by ChemCam shows a strong peak at ~55 wt% SiO2 and 6 wt% total alkalis, with a minor secondary maximum at 47–51 wt% SiO2 and lower alkali content. The cenAuthorsPeter H. Edwards, John C. Bridges, Roger C. Wiens, Ryan B. Anderson, M. Darby Dyar, Martin Fisk, Lucy Thompson, Patrick J. Gasda, Justin Filiberto, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Diana L. Blaney, Ian HutchinsonThe Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover Mastcam instruments: Preflight and in-flight calibration, validation, and data archiving
The NASA Curiosity rover Mast Camera (Mastcam) system is a pair of fixed-focal length, multispectral, color CCD imagers mounted ~2 m above the surface on the rover's remote sensing mast, along with associated electronics and an onboard calibration target. The left Mastcam (M-34) has a 34 mm focal length, an instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of 0.22 mrad, and a FOV of 20° × 15° over the full 1648AuthorsJames F. Bell, A. Godber, S. McNair, M.A. Caplinger, J.N. Maki, M. T. Lemmon, J. Van Beek, M.C. Malin, D. Wellington, K.M. Kinch, M.B. Madsen, C. Hardgrove, M.A. Ravine, E. Jensen, D. Harker, Ryan Anderson, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, R.V. Morris, E. Cisneros, R. G. DeenShaler: in situ analysis of a fluvial sedimentary deposit on Mars
This paper characterizes the detailed sedimentology of a fluvial sandbody on Mars for the first time and interprets its depositional processes and palaeoenvironmental setting. Despite numerous orbital observations of fluvial landforms on the surface of Mars, ground-based characterization of the sedimentology of such fluvial deposits has not previously been possible. Results from the NASA Mars ScieAuthorsLauren A. Edgar, Sanjeev Gupta, David M. Rubin, Kevin W. Lewis, Gary A. Kocurek, Ryan Anderson, James F. Bell, Gilles Dromart, Kenneth S. Edgett, John P. Grotzinger, Craig Hardgrove, Linda C. Kah, Richard A. LeVeille, Michael C. Malin, Nicholas Mangold, Ralph E. Milliken, Michelle Minitti, Marisa C. Palucis, Melissa Rice, Scott K. Rowland, Juergen Schieber, Kathryn M. Stack, Dawn Y. Sumner, Roger C. Wiens, Rebecca M.E. Williams, Amy J. WilliamsDiagenetic silica enrichment and late-stage groundwater activity in Gale crater, Mars
Diagenetic silica enrichment in fracture-associated halos that crosscut lacustrine and unconformably overlying aeolian sedimentary bedrock is observed on the lower north slope of Aeolis Mons in Gale crater, Mars. The diagenetic silica enrichment is colocated with detrital silica enrichment observed in the lacustrine bedrock yet extends into a considerably younger, unconformably draping aeolian sanAuthorsJens Frydenvang, Patrick J. Gasda, Joel A. Hurowitz, John P. Grotzinger, Roger C. Wiens, Horton E. Newsom, Ken S. Edgett, Jessica Watkins, John C. Bridges, Sylvestre Maurice, Martin R. Fisk, Jeffrey R. Johnson, William Rapin, Nathan Stein, Sam M. Clegg, S. P. Schwenzer, C. Bedford, P. Edwards, Nicolas Mangold, Agnès Cousin, Ryan Anderson, Valerie Payre, David Vaniman, David Blake, Nina L. Lanza, Sanjeev Gupta, Jason K. Van Beek, Violaine Sautter, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Melissa Rice, Ralf Milliken, Ralf Gellert, Lucy Thompson, Ben C. Clark, Dawn Y. Sumner, Abigail A. Fraeman, Kjartan M Kinch, Morten B. Madsen, Igor Mitofranov, Insoo Jun, Fred J. Calef, Ashwin R. VasavadaRecalibration of the Mars Science Laboratory ChemCam instrument with an expanded geochemical database
The ChemCam Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has obtained > 300,000 spectra of rock and soil analysis targets since landing at Gale Crater in 2012, and the spectra represent perhaps the largest publicly-available LIBS datasets. The compositions of the major elements, reported as oxides (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, FeOT, MgO, CaAuthorsSamuel M. Clegg, Roger C. Wiens, Ryan Anderson, Olivier Forni, Jens Frydenvang, Jeremie Lasue, Agnès Cousin, Valerie Payre, Tommy Boucher, M. Darby Dyar, Scott M. McLennan, Richard V. Morris, Trevor G. Graff, Stanley A Mertzman, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Ines Belgacem, Horton E. Newsom, Ben C. Clark, Noureddine Melikechi, Alissa Mezzacappa, Rhonda E. McInroy, Ronald Martinez, Patrick J. Gasda, Olivier Gasnault, Sylvestre MauriceImproved accuracy in quantitative laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using sub-models
Accurate quantitative analysis of diverse geologic materials is one of the primary challenges faced by the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)-based ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover. The SuperCam instrument on the Mars 2020 rover, as well as other LIBS instruments developed for geochemical analysis on Earth or other planets, will face the same challenge. ConseqAuthorsRyan Anderson, Samuel M. Clegg, Jens Frydenvang, Roger C. Wiens, Scott M. McLennan, Richard V. Morris, Bethany L. Ehlmann, M. Darby DyarChemistry of diagenetic features analyzed by ChemCam at Pahrump Hills, Gale crater, Mars
The Curiosity rover's campaign at Pahrump Hills provides the first analyses of lower Mount Sharp strata. Here we report ChemCam elemental composition of a diverse assemblage of post-depositional features embedded in, or cross-cutting, the host rock. ChemCam results demonstrate their compositional diversity, especially compared to the surrounding host rock: (i) Dendritic aggregates and relief enhanAuthorsMarion Nachon, Nicolas Mangold, Olivier Forni, Linda C. Kah, Agnès Cousin, Roger C. Wiens, Ryan Anderson, Diana L. Blaney, Jen G. Blank, Fred J. Calef, Samuel M. Clegg, Cecile Fabre, Martin R. Fisk, Olivier Gasnault, John P. Grotzinger, Rachel Kronyak, Nina L. Lanza, Jeremie Lasue, Laetitia Le Deit, Stephane Le Mouelic, Sylvestre Maurice, Pierre-Yves Meslin, D. Z. Oehler, Valerie Payre, William Rapin, Susanne Schroder, Katherine M. Stack, Dawn SumnerChemCam activities and discoveries during the nominal mission of the Mars Science Laboratory in Gale crater, Mars
At Gale crater, Mars, ChemCam acquired its first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) target on Sol 13 of the landed portion of the mission (a Sol is a Mars day). Up to Sol 800, more than 188 000 LIBS spectra were acquired on more than 5800 points distributed over about 650 individual targets. We present a comprehensive review of ChemCam scientific accomplishments during that period, togethAuthorsSylvestre Maurice, Samuel M. Clegg, Roger C. Wiens, O. Gasnault, W. Rapin, O. Forni, Agnès Cousin, V. Sautter, Nicolas Mangold, L. Le Deit, Marion Nachon, Ryan Anderson, Nina Lanza, Cecile Fabre, Valerie Payre, Jeremie Lasue, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Richard A. LeVeille, Bruce Barraclough, Pierre Beck, Steven C. Bender, Gilles Berger, John C. Bridges, Nathan Bridges, Gilles Dromert, M. Darby Dyar, Raymond Francis, Jens Frydenvang, B. Gondet, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Yves Langevin, Madsen Morten B., N. Melikechi, J.-L. Lacour, Stephane Le Mouelic, Eric Lewin, Horton E. Newsom, Ann M. Ollila, Patrick Pinet, S. Schroder, Jean-Baptiste Sirven, Robert L. Tokar, M.J. Toplis, Claude d'Uston, David Vaniman, Ashwin R. VasavadaThe potassic sedimentary rocks in Gale Crater, Mars, as seen by ChemCam Onboard Curiosity
The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity encountered potassium-rich clastic sedimentary rocks at two sites in Gale Crater, the waypoints Cooperstown and Kimberley. These rocks include several distinct meters thick sedimentary outcrops ranging from fine sandstone to conglomerate, interpreted to record an ancient fluvial or fluvio-deltaic depositional system. From ChemCam Laser-Induced BreakdownAuthorsLaetitia Le Deit, Nicolas Mangold, Olivier Forni, Agnès Cousin, Jeremie Lasue, Susanne Schröder, Roger C. Wiens, Dawn Y. Sumner, Cecile Fabre, Katherine M. Stack, Ryan Anderson, Diana L. Blaney, Samuel M. Clegg, Gilles Dromart, Martin Fisk, Olivier Gasnault, John P. Grotzinger, Sanjeev Gupta, Nina Lanza, Stephane Le Mouélic, Sylvestre Maurice, Scott M. McLennan, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Marion Nachon, Horton E. Newsom, Valerie Payre, William Rapin, Melissa Rice, Violaine Sautter, Allan H. TreimanComposition of conglomerates analyzed by the Curiosity rover: Implications for Gale Crater crust and sediment sources
No abstract available.AuthorsNicolas Mangold, L.M. Thompson, O. Forni, C. Fabre, L. Le Deit, R. C. Wiens, A.J. Williams, R. Williams, Ryan Anderson, Diana L. Blaney, Fred J. Calef, Agnès Cousin, Samuel M. Clegg, Gilles Dromart, William E. Dietrich, Kenneth S. Edgett, Martin R. Fisk, Olivier Gasnault, Ralf Gellert, John P. Grotzinger, Linda C. Kah, Stephane Le Mouélic, Scott M. McLennan, Sylvestre Maurice, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Horton E. Newsom, Marisa C. Palucis, William Rapin, Violaine Sautter, Kirsten L. Siebach, Katherine M. Stack, Dawn Y. Sumner, Aileen YingstChemCam results from the Shaler outcrop in Gale crater, Mars
The ChemCam campaign at the fluvial sedimentary outcrop “Shaler” resulted in observations of 28 non-soil targets, 26 of which included active laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and all of which included Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) images. The Shaler outcrop can be divided into seven facies based on grain size, texture, color, resistance to erosion, and sedimentary structures. The ChemCam oAuthorsRyan B. Anderson, J.C. Bridges, A. Williams, L. Edgar, A. Ollila, J. Williams, Marion Nachon, N. Mangold, M. Fisk, J. Schieber, S. Gupta, G. Dromart, R. Wiens, Stéphane Le Mouélic, O. Forni, N. Lanza, Alissa Mezzacappa, V. Sautter, D. Blaney, B. Clark, S. Clegg, O. Gasnault, J. Lasue, Richard Léveillé, E. Lewin, K.W. Lewis, S. Maurice, H. Newsom, S.P. Schwenzer, D. VanimanEvidence for outcrop-scale deformation band faults on Mars from Curiosity rover imagery
No abstract available.AuthorsJonathan S. Caine, Ryan B. Anderson, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Glynis M. Parrett - News
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