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  Mining Reclamation and Environmental Characterization Geothermal Exploration Regional Geology and Mineral Exploration Planetary Exploration Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Natural Hazards People at ABLE Publications Courses Contact Us Links ABLE Home Page
 

Wendy Marie Calvin, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor

Arthur Brant Laboratory for Exploration Geophysics 

Department of Geological Sciences, MS 172
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557-0138
Office: 775-784-1785
Fax: 775-327-2235
email: wcalvin@unr.edu

           Wendy Calvin with Kitty Hawk Model

Education

University of Denver, Denver, CO. Bachelor of Science (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) 1983.
Physics and Mathematics Majors, Geology Minor.
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Doctor of Philosophy 1991. Geophysics.
Dissertation Title: Indications of the Mineralogy of Callisto and Mars from Reflectance Spectroscopy

Current Research

 Specializing in infrared spectroscopy, Wendy's research emphasizes understanding the nature and association of water, volatile ices and minerals in order to better understand physical and chemical processes occurring in a variety of planetary and space environments. Objects studied include meteorites, asteroids, icy satellites, Mars and Earth. Currently funded research includes:
  • NASA- Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program: Focusing on Mars analog sites we are synthesizing field, lab, airborne and spaceborne data sets to understand the complementary nature of visible/near-infrared reflected and thermal infrared emitted signatures, and the relationship between in-situ and remote observations. Special emphasis is placed on acid-sulfate systems and early Archean iron formation as analog alteration processes for Mars.
  • NASA- Mars Data Analysis Program: Research focussing the residual north cap of Mars including composition of layers exposed in reentrant valleys, seasonal frost evolution patterns and variability and associated polar dune deposits. These studies should aid in understanding Martian climate history and variability and volatile element transport and sequestration.
  • NASA- EPSCOR: Co-Investigator on the consortium project to build expertise and infrastructure related to Astrobiology research. Our contribution foccusses on identifying potential mineral biosignatures that can be used to explore potential habitable zones of other planets, especially Mars and Europa.
  • Dept of Energy: This start up project will attempt to find surface identifiers (mineralogy, vegetation stress, thermal anomalies) in remote sensing data sets in order to characterize and potentially expand geothermal sites and their potential.

Spacecraft Teams

  • 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers, Participating Scientist Twin rovers to arrive at Mars in early 2004.
    Link to the Athena Science Package or the Mission page
  • 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Co-Investigator on the MARCI camera. This instrument is a reflight for science lost with the Mars Climate Orbiter in September of 1999.
    Hop to JPL's Mars Page for the latest in Mars Exploration.

Publications

For an extensive list of Ms. Calvin's publications, click on the Publications title.

Courses

(June 2002)