Research Areas

We study the “source-to-sink” sedimentary rock system on Mars using clastic sedimentology, geochemistry, mineralogy, and remote sensing. We are interested in all aspects of the cycle, including the igneous provenances that sourced sediment, the paleoenvironments that weathered sediment, sediment transport and sorting processes, deposition and lithification, and finally diagenesis and alteration, including fracturing and fracture fills. We develop our understanding of this cycle using terrestrial analogs and geochemical models that enable us to describe past environments on Mars. We are also interested in utilizing drones and cutting-edge visualization techniques to enhance our understanding of both planets. Much of our current research is motivated by observations from the Curiosity rover, which is driving across sedimentary strata in Gale crater. The sedimentary rocks there were delivered into the crater by rivers and wind ~3.5 billion years ago and were exposed by wind erosion.