welcome

Welcome to the New MIRA Laboratory, located in Northrop Hall of the UNM Main Campus. Dr. Penny King's primary research goal is to examine surface and interior processes on planetary bodies. To achieve this goal, her research group attempts to understand the fundamental geochemical aspects of astromaterials under different conditions. Knowing how materials behave under different conditions allows us to predict planetary environments (in the past and future) and to make better tools to explore our solar system.

Research projects in the New MIRA lab investigate processes from the deep Earth to outer solar system.

Planetary Geology Projects

Some of our active projects, with collaborators, are shown below (past projects are shown in grey).

  • Evolution of the salts on Mars (D. Lescinsky, H.W. Nesbitt, H. Y. McSween)
  • Extended calibration of the Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometer for the Mars Science Laboratory mission (B. Hyde, L. Burkemper, R. Gellert, J.L. Campbell)
  • Terrestrial Mg-sulfate rich lakes as analogs for Mars and the Galilean satellites (G. Southam, K. Moser, R. Peterson)
  • Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in the Tagish Lake meteorite (S.D.J. Russell, F.J. Longstaffe, T. Larsen)
  • XRD and IR of the Tagish Lake meteorite and enstatite meteorites (M.R. Izawa, R. Flemming, R. Peterson)
  • The water content of impact melts (R.S. Harris, P.H. Schultz)
  • Analysis of D/H ratios in amphiboles relevant to Mars (Y. Guan, L. Leshin)
  • Characterization of Fe3+-rich soils on Mars (M.D. Lane, M.D. Dyar, J. Bishop, M. Parente, B. Hyde)

Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometer on Mars
Photo from Gellert et al. (2006) J. Geophys. Res. 111, doi:10.1029/2006JE002555

Basque Lake #1 with epsomite salt

Epsomite salt in Basque Lake #2

Laboratory-Based Projects

  • Effect of bulk composition on the mid-IR spectra of glasses (C. M. Dufresne, K. Dalby)
  • Si-O bonding in glasses (K. Dalby)
  • H diffusion from wet basalt to dry rhyolite (D. Lui)
  • Bubble nucleation in phonolitic melts (J. Larsen, J. Mongrain)
  • Effects of changing oxidation state on element partitioning (J.R. Holloway, M.D. Dyar, J.S. Delaney, T.W. Vennemann, R.L. Hervig)
  • Volatile elements in glasses (J.R. Holloway)
  • Substitution of carbonate in apatite at high pressure (M.E. Fleet, X. Liu)
  • Phase equilibria of A-type granites (K. Klimm, W. Johannes, F. Holtz)

Synthesizing quartzofeldspathic glasses in Byrnes et al., 2007. Thermal infrared reflectance and emission spectroscopy of quartzofeldspathic glasses. Geophysical Research Letters, 34, L01306, doi:10.1029/2006GL027893.

Experimental run product from Lui (2005). The Effects of Water on Basalt-Rhyolite Interactions in Volcanic Systems. M.Sc. thesis. University of Western Ontario, London ON Canada. 156 pp.

Analytical & Theoretical Projects

  • Development of reflectance IR techniques for analyzing volatiles in silicate glasses (J. Larsen)
  • Reflectance and emission IR of quartzofeldspathic glasses (R.J. Lee, J.M. Byrnes, M.S. Ramsey)
  • Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy of Fe3+ in amphiboles (M.D. Dyar, J. S. Delaney)
  • Micro-analysis of sulfates using transmission and reflectance IR and SEM techniques (B. Hyde, M. Spilde)
  • Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy of Ce3+/Ce4+ (T. K. Sham, M.D. Dyar, R. A. Gordon)
  • (Theoretical) Prediction of Fe-and other minerals present on Mars (H.Y. McSween)
  • Electron microprobe methods for analyzing Fe3+ in amphiboles (C. Wagner, M. Fialin, E. Deloule)
    •

King, P.L., Ramsey, M.S. & Swayze, G.A. (eds.), 2004. Infrared Spectroscopy in Geochemistry, Exploration Geochemistry and Remote Sensing. Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course 33

Field-based projects

  • Volatiles in rhyolitic rocks (D. Lui)
  • Substitution mechanisms in hydrous minerals (K. Righter, M.D. Dyar, J.S. Delaney, T.W. Vennemann, R.L. Hervig)
  • The origin of A-type granites from eastern Australia (B.W. Chappell, C.M. Allen, A.J.R. White)
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Burro Creek, Arizona

Red Knob rhyolite dome, Burro Creek area, Arizona

Contact

For further information please contact:

Penny King

Institute of Meteoritics
MSC03 2050
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
E-mail: penking /at/ unm /dot/ edu

Phone: 505-277-1643
Fax: 505-277-3577