Larry S. Crumpler, Ph.D.

Research Curator, Volcanology & Space Science

Mars Exploration Rover Update

Dr. Larry Crumpler continues important work as a Science Team member on the Extended Mission phase of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission. Both Rovers are still mobile and continue imaging, RATting rocks and analyzing interesting rock formations.

Recent article about Dr. Crumpler and the site, "Larry's Lookout" named after him.

Next Stop: 'Methuselah'

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is approaching an outcrop dubbed "Methuselah," which scientists intend for the rover to examine in detail for several days before resuming an uphill climb. This false-color view is assembled from frames taken by Spirit's panoramic camera on the rover's 454th martian day, or sol (April 13, 2005). It shows a region in the "Columbia Hills" slightly downhill from the rover. The view features two interesting outcrops in the middle distance and "Clark Hill" in the left background. The outcrop on the right, with rover tracks leading from it, is "Larry's Lookout." On the left is the Methuselah outcrop, with apparent layering. This view combines images taken through the camera's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 430-nanometer filters.

Several map images created by Dr. Crumpler were part of a Nasa/JPL public release on July 16, 2004 and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science was credited for producing them.

The maps can be seen at  http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040716a.html

Biography

“New Mexico is a virtual museum of volcanic phenomena. Every major type of volcanic landform occurs in New Mexico, including some of the largest and youngst lava flows and calderas, maars, shield volcanoes and many all the other volcanic landforms. And an exotic rift valley and classic 'layer-cake' geology have been added for visual beauty as well. It is like another planet.”

Larryís current research is divided between two topics: (1) young volcanic terrains in both New Mexico and Arizona,† specializing in the physical processes of volcanism, particularly the relatively unstudied volcanology of late Cenozoic basaltic volcanism in New Mexico; and (2) geology of the terrestrial planets with emphasis on planetary volcanism. He has participated in many NASA planetary missions, including Viking, Pathfinder, and Mars Exploration Rover missions and Magellan synthetic aperture radar mapping mission to Venus.