Emma Rogers
Tell us about yourself:
Hi! I'm Emma, and I am a second-year PhD student at Dartmouth College working with Dr. Marisa Palucis. I am interested in Planetary Geology with a focus in planetary surface processes and analogs. I am fascinated with understanding the history of a planet through its geology and enjoy the challenge of interpreting features we see on other planetary bodies based on what we observe on Earth. Field work is a big part of my interests, which I combine with remote sensing to answer various scientific questions.
What is your research about?
I am reconstructing the transport history of basaltic pebbles on Mars to provide insight into the prevailing climate at the time of transport and deposition. To do this, I am analyzing the evolution of clast shape and size down alluvial fan systems at Mars analog environments, including Hawai’i, the Mojave Desert, and Iceland. These locations provide comparable lithologies to Mars and provide a range of climates that can be compared for Martian paleoclimate interpretation. I am also building an experimental set of data to analyze how quickly basalt rounds over the length of an alluvial fan using a rotating drum. This project will advance the state of knowledge regarding basaltic grain transport and breakdown, providing key insights into deciphering the past fluvial conditions on Mars.
What excites you about your research?
I love that I get to travel around the world to study a process that may seem relatively simple at first but is actually very nuanced and important for understanding the history of a planet millions of miles away. I get to learn new lab techniques, look at incredible rover imagery, and gain some hands-on experience with the geology I am studying. I love the combination of all these skills and how they can be married together to solve interesting questions.
What broader importance does your research have for society?
Understanding how far the pebbles must have had to travel to achieve the shape we see in the modern day will help us interpret their provenance. Provenance of these pebbles will help us determine how far the alluvial fan extended into Gale crater and if the conglomerates were emplaced with or without the influence of water. This can ultimately help to answer the question of whether conditions in Gale crater were conducive to harboring and/or preserving signs of astrobiological life, and if so, where we might be able to find those indicators. Our field measurements will also add to the discussion of bed load sediment transport and its relation to shape. This process is a critically important mechanism in terrestrial contexts, such as river restoration and flooding. There has been recent discussion of adding a shape factor to sediment flux laws to allow for greater accuracy in predictions of sediment transport. While this work has been experimentally proven, our work will provide field- based observations to further the understanding of how clast shape affects sediment fluxes.
What inspired you to pursue a career in Earth Science?
During my freshman year of my undergrad degree, I began a research project studying a lake that existed over 14,000 years ago using purely the geologic markers it left behind. It blew my mind that the imprints on a landscape, which most people glance over without a second thought, could open a window into a world that no one has ever seen. This experience inspired me to use planetary analogs, field sites on Earth comparable to sites on other planetary bodies, to further the understanding of how the planets have grown and evolved through time. My research has led me to explore everywhere from glacial lake field sites on Earth to mineralogy and morphology-based projects on Mars. These research opportunities have shown me that a seemingly simple rock is full of information if we know how to study it.
What are you looking to do after you complete your PhD?
Short term, I will look for a postdoctoral position where I can learn new data analysis and field skills, and continue to communicate science through outreach. Long term, I hope to work as a planetary analog specialist, either as a professor heading a field-based planetary geomorphology lab at a university, or as a researcher on one of the NASA missions.
Given unlimited funding and access to resources, what is your dream project that you would pursue?
I would love to look at the geomorphology of the Argentinean Patagonia as a Martian analog. Along with being a stunningly beautiful field site, it's history of basaltic volcanism, glacial, and periglacial activity has led to a plethora of Mars-like small circular depressions, gullies, fan-deltas, eolian streaks, and dunes. I would like to get more into mission development, so a dream project would be to bring either astronauts or robotic mission tests to the Argentinean Patagonia to train them on the geomorphic features there that may be comparable to features they would interact with on missions to Mars.
What else do you do? Any hobbies or interests outside of work?
Outside of the lab, I am an avid hiker, reader, baker, and watercolor painter! I am very crafty, and love trying out new arts and crafts. I also enjoy trying out new seasonal activities since moving to New Hampshire, like skiing and kayaking!