Larry S. Crumpler, Ph.D.

Curator of Research, Volcanology & Space Science

Email: Larry Crumpler


"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 youngest lava flows and calderas, maars, shield volcanoes and many 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."

-Dr. Larry Crumpler

Dr. Larry Crumpler
Larry Crumpler in New Mexico.

Larry's 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. His field work has focused on geologic mapping of in youthful volcanic terrains and the physical volcanology of lava flows. He has spear-headed several public education efforts in regional volcanism and local geology.

Larry has also participated in many NASA planetary missions over the years, including Viking, Pathfinder, and Mars Exploration Rover missions and Magellan synthetic aperture radar mapping missions to Venus. Currently he is a mission Science Team member on the Mars Exploration Rover ("MER") mission where he continues to play a leadership role in daily planning of Spirit's "natural history" exploration of the surface of Mars. Recently he was also selected as a Science Team Member on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter high-resolution camera ("HiRISE"). HiRISE is imaging the surface of Mars with resolutions of centimeters. He is also a collaborator on the Mars Odyssey orbiter Gamma Ray Spectrometer ("GRS") instrument.

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

To see weekly maps prepared by Larry of Spirit's trek through the Columbia Hills, visit the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory rover traverse web site at: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/traverse_maps.html

Dr. Larry Crumpler

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.

Also check out Volcanoes of New Mexico, a project depicting the many different types and distributions of volcanoes in the state, as well as a Museum-produced video about the volcanoes of New Mexico.


Selected Recent Publications

Crumpler, L.S., Aubele, J.C., and Zimbelman, J.R. 2007, Chapter 10: "Volcanic Features of New Mexico analogous to volcanic features on Mars": Mars Analogs, Cambridge University Press, M. Chapman, editor.

Golombek, M. P. , Grant, J.A. Crumpler, L.S., Greeley, R., Arvidson, R.E., Bell III, J.F., Weitz, C.M., Sullivan, R., Christensen, P.R., Soderblom, L.A., and Squyres, S.W. 2006, "Erosion rates at the Mars Exploration Rover landing sites and long-term climate change on Mars": Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets, J. Geophys. Res., vol.111, E12S10.

Golombek, M. P., Crumpler, L.S., Grant, J.A., Greeley, R., Cabrol, N.A., Parker, T.J., Rice Jr., J.W., Ward, J.G., Arvidson, R.E., Moersch, J.E., Fergason, R.L., Christensen, P.R., Castaño, A., Castaño, R., Haldemann, A.F.C., Li, R., Bell III, J.F., and Squyres, S.W. 2006, "Geology of the Gusev cratered plains from the Spirit rover transverse": J. Geophys. Res, vol.111, E02S07.

Grant, J. A., Arvidson, R., Crumpler, L.S., Golombek, M.P., Hahn, B., Haldemann, A.F.C., Li, R., Soderblom, L.A., Squyres, S.W., Wright, S.P., and Watters, W.A. 2006, "Crater Gradation in Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum, Mars": J. Geophys Res., Special MER Issue, vol.111, E02S08.

Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R.E., Blaney, D.L., Clark, B.C., Crumpler, L.S., Farrand, W.H., Gorevan, S., Herkenhoff, K.E., Hurowitz, J., Kusack, A., McSween, H.Y., Ming, D.W., Morris, R.V., Ruff, S.W., Wang, A., and Yen, A. 2006, "The Rocks of the Columbia Hills": J. Geophys Res., Special MER Issue, vol.111.

Arvidson, R.E., Squyres, S.W., Anderson, R.C., Bell III, J.F., Brückner, J., Cabrol, N.A., Calvin, W.M., Carr, M.H., Christensen, P.R., Clark, B.C., Crumpler, L.S., Des Marais, D.J., d'Uston, C., Economou, T., Farmer, J., Farrand, W.H., Folkner, W., Golombek, M., Gorevan, S., Grant, J.A., Greeley, R., Grotzinger, J., Guinness, E., Hahn, B.C., Haskin, L., Herkenhoff, K.E., Hurowitz, J.A., Hviid, S., Johnson, J.R., Klingelhöfer, G., Knoll, A.H., Landis, G., Leff, C., Lemmon, M., Li, R., Madsen, M.B., Malin, M.C., McLennan, S.M., McSween, H.Y., Ming, D.W., Moersch, J., Morris, R.V., Parker, T., Rice Jr., J.W., Richter, L., Rieder, R., Rodionov, D.S., Schröder, C., Sims, M., Smith, M., Smith, P., Soderblom, L.A., Sullivan, R., Thompson, S.D., Tosca, N.J., Wang, A., Wänke, H., Ward, J., Wdowiak, T., Wolff, M., Yen, A. 2005, "Overview of the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover Mission to Gusev Crater: Landing Site to the Methuselah Outcrop in the Columbia Hills": J. Geophys. Res., Special MER Issue, vol.111, E02S01.

Gilmore M.S., Collins, G.C., Crumpler, L.S., Cutts, J.A., deCharon, A.V., Head III, J.W., Nock, K.T., Parry, M., Yingst, R.A. 2005, "Investigation of the application of aerobot technology at Venus": Acta. Astonautica, vol.56, pp.477-494.

Golombek, M.P., Arvidson, R.E., Bell III, J.F., Christensen, P.R., Crisp, J.A., Crumpler, L.S., Ehlmann, B.L., Fergason, R.L., Grant, J.A., Greeley, R., Haldemann, A.F.C., Kass, D.M., Parker, T.J., Schofield, J.T., Squyres, S.W., and Zurek, R.W. 2005, "Assessment of Mars Exploration Rover landing site predictions": Nature, vol.436, pp.44-48.

Grant, J. A., Arvidson, R., Crumpler, L.S., Golombek, M.P., Hahn, B., Haldemann, A.F.C., Li, R., Soderblom, L.A., Squyres, S.W., Wright, S.P., and Watters, W.A. 2005, "Crater Gradation in Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum, Mars": J. Geophys Res., Special MER Issue, vol.111, E02S08.

Li, R., Archinal, B.A., Arvidson, R.E., Bell, J., Christensen, P.R., Crumpler, L.S., Des Marais, D.J., Di, D., Duxbury, T., Golombek, M., Grant, J., Greeley, R., Guinn, J., Johnson, A., Kirk, R.L., Maimone, M., Matthies, L.H., Malin, M., Parker, T., Sims, M., Thompson, S., Squyres, S.W., Soderblom, L.A. 2005, "Rover Localization and Topographic Mapping at the Landing site of Gusev Crater, Mars": J. Geophys Res., Special MER Issue, vol.111.

Li, R., Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R.E., Bell, J., Cheng, Y., Crumpler, L.S., Des Marais, D.J., Di, K., Ely, T.A., Golombek, M., Graat, E., Grant, J., Guinn, J., Johnson, A., Greeley, R., Kirk, R.L., Maimone, M., Matthies, L.H., Malin, M., Parker, T., Sims, M., Soderblom, L.A., Thompson,S., Wang, J., Whelley, P., and Xu, F. 2005, "Initial Results of Rover Localization and Topographic Mapping for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission": Journal of Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, vol.71, pp.1129-1142.

McSween, H. Y., Wyatt, M.B., Gellert, R., Bell III, J.F., Morris, R.V., Herkenhoff, K.E., Crumpler, L.S., Milam, K.A., Stockstill, K.R., Tornabene, L., Arvidson, R.E., Bartlett, P., Blaney, D., Cabrol, N.A., Christensen, P.R., Clark, B.C., Crisp, J.A., Des Marais, D.J., Economou, T., Farmer, J.D., Farrand, W., Ghosh, A., Golombek, M., Gorevan, S., Greeley, R., Hamilton, V.E., Johnson, J.R., Joliff, B.L., Klingelhöefer, G., Knudson, A.T., McLennan, S., Ming, D., Moersch, J.E., Rieder, R., Ruff, S.W., Schröeder, C., de Souza Jr., P.A., Squyres, S.W., Wänke, H., Wang, A., Yen, A., Zipfel, J. 2005, "Characterization and petrologic interpretation of olivine-rich basalts at Gusev Crater, Mars": J. Geophys Res., Special MER Issue, vol.111, E02S10.

Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R.E., Blaney, D.L., Clark, B.C., Crumpler, L.S., Farrand, W.H., Gorevan, S., Herkenhoff, K.E., Hurowitz, J., Kusack, A., McSween, H.Y., Ming, D.W., Morris, R.V., Ruff, S.W., Wang, A., and Yen, A. 2005, "The Rocks of the Columbia Hills": J. Geophys Res., Special MER Issue, vol.111.

Wang, A., Korotev, R.L., Jolliff, B.L., Haskin, L.A., Crumpler, L.S., Farrand, W.H., Herkenhoff, K.E., de Souza Jr., P., Kusack, A.G., Hurowitz, J.A., Tosca, N.J. 2005, "Evidence of Phyllosilicates in Wooly Patch, an Altered Rock Encountered at West Spur, Columbia Hills, by the Spirit Rover in Gusev Crater, Mars": J. Geophys. Res., Special MER Issue, 111.

Haskin, L. A., Wang, A., McSween, H.Y., McLennan, S.M., Cabrol, N.A., Crumpler, L.S., Jolliff, B.L., Yen, A., Clark, B.C., Des Mara's, D.J., Squyres, S.W., Arvidson, R.E., Ming, D., Morris, R.D., Tosca, N.J., Hurowitz, J.A., Gellert, R., Klingelhöfer, G., Bell, III, J.F., Herkenhoff, K., Christensen, P.R., Ruff, S., Blaney, D., Farmer, J.D., Grant, J., Greeley, R., Grin, E.A., Landis, G., Rice, J., Richter, L., Schröder, C., Soderblom, L.A., de Souza, P. 2004, "Water Alteration of Rocks and Soils from the Spirit Rover Site, Gusev Crater, Mars": Nature, vol.436, pp.66-69.

Crumpler, L. S., 2003, "Natural Scoria Cone Half-Section, East Grants Ridge: a test of basalt pyroclastic eruption models": New Mexico Geological Society, Field Conference, Guidebook 54.

Crumpler, L. S, Aubele, J.A., Lucas, S.G., and Heckert, A.B. 2003, "Supplemental road log 1: from Grants to eastern margin of El Malpais, Sandstone Bluffs overlook, and McCartys lava flow": New Mexico Geological Society Field Conference, Guidebook 54.

Crumpler, L. S. 2002, "Venus": Macmillan Encyclopedia of Space Sciences, Macmillan Reference USA, New York, pp.214-218.

Crumpler, L. S. 2001, "A popular guide to New Mexico's volcanoes": NMMNHS Bulletin 18, in final prep.

Crumpler, L. S. 2001, "An overview of volcanism in New Mexico": NMMNHS Bulletin 18, in final prep.


Other Publications

Crumpler, L. S., Newsom, J., and Aubele, J. 2004, "Albuquerque's Geoscape": poster.

Crumpler, L. S. 2001, "Land of Volcanoes": New Mexico Magazine, January issue.