|
Current Appointments
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
Adjunct Professor of Geology, Department of Geology
Research Affiliate, NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow,
1987-88, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
(James Young)
Postdoctoral Research Associate,
1985-86, S.U.N.Y. at
Buffalo, NY (Janet Osteryoung)
Ph.D. (D.Sc.), 1985,
Université de Genève,
Geneva, Switzerland
(Jacques Buffle)
B.A., 1975, M.S., 1978,
California State University at
San Diego/SDSU, CA (Alberto Zirino)
Research Interests
In-situ Planetary and Extreme Biogeochemical Analysis The Kounaves group research is aimed at unraveling
fundamental questions in planetary science using modern in-situ or on-site analytical
systems designed to study the biogeochemistry of extreme environments, where no one has gone before.
As Phoenix mission Co-I and Lead Scientist for the Wet Chemistry Lab (WCL),
Prof. Kounaves and his group performed the first wet chemical analysis of the
martian soil. The experiments revealed an alkaline soil containing a variety of
soluble minerals, including perchlorate, that has altered the way we view the
chemistry of Mars and its potential to support life. His group is now leading
the development of the next generation wet chemical analyses for a future Mars
mission.
In addition to the current investigations exploring Mars' geochemistry and its potential for supporting past or present microbial
life in surface or subsurface environments, their research (funded by NASA and
NSF) also includes understanding
the geochemical and environmental history as recorded by the chemistry of
planetary surface materials, and the geobiochemistry in extreme environments on
Earth in places such as the Antarctic Dry Valleys, Death Valley, and
mid-Atlantic deep-ocean thermal vents. They are also interested in applying
similar techniques to investigate the
surface and sub-glacial oceans on other planetary bodies such as Jupiter's moon, Europa.
The group's research in astrobiology is focused on exploring
concepts and analytical techniques for unambiguous detection of microbial life in extraterrestrial
settings, and the survivability of organics on Mars' surface.
Selected Recent Publications
The Oxidation-Reduction Potential of Aqueous Soil
Solutions at the Mars Phoenix Landing Site, R. C. Quinn, J. D. Chittenden, S. P.
Kounaves, and M. H. Hecht, Geophys. Res. Lett., 2011, 38,
L14202.
Soluble Sulfate in the Martian Soil at the Phoenix
Landing Site, S. P. Kounaves, M. H. Hecht, J. Kapit, R. C. Quinn, D. C. Catling,
B. C. Clark, D. W. Ming, K. Gospodinova, P. Hredzak, K. McElhoney, and J.
Shusterman, Geophys. Res. Lett., 2010, 37, L09201.
Discovery of Natural Perchlorate in the Antarctic
Dry Valleys and its Global Implications,
S. P. Kounaves, S. T. Stroble, R. M. Anderson, Q. Moore, D. C. Catling, S.
Douglas, C. P. McKay,
D. W. Ming, P. H. Smith, L. K. Tamppari, A. P. Zent,
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2010, 44, 2360-64.
Wet Chemistry Experiments on the 2007 Phoenix Mars
Scout Lander: Data Analysis and Results
S. P. Kounaves, M. H. Hecht, J. Kapit, K. Gospodinova, L. DeFlores, R. C. Quinn,
W. V. Boynton, B. C. Clark, D. C. Catling, P. Hredzak, D. W. Ming, Q. Moore, J.
Shusterman,
S. Stroble, S. J. West, and S. M. Young,. J. Geophys. Res.,
2010, 115, E00E10.
Detection of Perchlorate and the Soluble Chemistry
of Martian Soil at the Phoenix Lander Site,
M. H. Hecht, S. P. Kounaves, R. C. Quinn, S. J. West, S. M. M. Young, D. W.
Ming, D. C. Catling, B. C. Clark, W. V. Boynton, J. Hoffman, L. P. DeFlores, K.
Gospodinova, J. Kapit, and P. H. Smith
Science, 2009, 325, 64-67.
Evidence for Calcium Carbonate at the Mars Phoenix Landing Site, W. V. Boynton,
D. W. Ming,
S. P. Kounaves, S. M. M. Young, R. E. Arvidson, M. H. Hecht, J. Hoffman, P. B.
Niles, D. K. Hamara, R. C. Quinn, P. H. Smith, B. Sutter, D. C. Catling, and R.
V. Morris, Science, 2009, 325, 61-64.
Life on Mars may be hidden like Earth’s
extremophiles, S. P. Kounaves, Nature, 2007, 449, 281.
Complete list of publications can be found at:
http://planetary.chem.tufts.edu/publications.html
|
