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Arvidson.jpg Raymond Arvidson
Title:James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor
Chair, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Degree:PHD, Brown University
MS, Brown University
BA, Temple University
Dept:Environmental Studies
Office:Earth & Planetary Sciences Bldg 285
Mailbox: Full Mailing Address
Phone:(314) 935-5609
E-mail:arvidson@wustl.edu

Courses
Remote Sensing; Case Study: Hawaii; Land Dynamics and the Environment

Research Interests
Professor Arvidson directs the Earth and Planetary Remote Sensing Laboratory (EPRSL) on the second floor of the Earth & Planetary Sciences Building. The EPRSL is involved in many aspects of NASA's planetary exploration program, including developing science objectives and plans for missions, participating in mission operations and data analysis, and archiving and distributing data relevant to characterizing and understanding planetary surfaces and interiors. Laboratory personnel have been or are currently involved in the Viking Lander, Mars Global Surveyor, Odyssey, Mars Exploration Rover, Phoenix Mars Lander, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the European Space Agency's Mars Express missions. Arvidson, staff, and students also participated in the Magellan Mission to Venus. Testing of prototype Mars rovers in Earth's deserts in collaboration with colleagues at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been another major focus over the past several years.

The Laboratory is the location of NASA's Planetary Data System Geosciences Node and one of NASA's Regional Planetary Image Facilities. Laboratory personnel are responsible for creating and distributing science data archives from planetary missions, working closely with the missions to ensure that the archives are complete and well-documented.

Laboratory staff and graduate student research currently focuses primarily on analyses of spaceborne observations of Mars, particularly to understand how the planet has evolved and the extent to which it was habitable. The unraveling of geological processes and defining geochemical cycles of possible biological relevance form the core of the research.

Students are also actively involved in the Laboratory as a part of innovative undergraduate courses such as the Pathfinder Program in Environmental Sustainability, in which multidisciplinary approaches to environmental problems are stressed with hands-on experience.

Recent Publications:

Bibring J. P., S. W. Squyres, & Arvidson R. E. (2006) Merging views on Mars. Science 311,1899-1900 (2006).

Arvidson, R. E., S. W. Squyres, R. C. Anderson, J. F. Bell III, D. Blaney, J. Brückner, N. A. Cabrol, W. M. Calvin, M. H. Carr, P. R. Christensen, B. C. Clark, L. Crumpler, D. J. Des Marais, P. A. de Souza, Jr., C. d'Uston, T. Economou, J. Farmer, W. H. Farrand, W. Folkner, M. P. Golombek, S. Gorevan, J. A. Grant, R. Greeley, J. Grotzinger, E. Guinness, B. C. Hahn, L. Haskin, K. E. Herkenhoff, J. A Hurowitz, S. Hviid, J. R. Johnson, G. Klingelhöfer, A. H. Knoll, G. Landis, C. Leff, M. Lemmon, R. Li, M. B. Madsen, M. C. Malin, S. M. McLennan, H. Y. McSween, D. W. Ming, J. Moersch, R. V. Morris, T. Parker, J. W. Rice, Jr., L. Richter, R. Rieder, D. S. Rodionov, C. Schröder, M. Sims, M. Smith, P. Smith, L. A. Soderblom, R. Sullivan, S. D. Thompson, N. J. Tosca, A. Wang, H. Wänke, J. Ward, T. Wdowiak, M. Wolff, A. Yen, 2006, Overview of the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover Mission to Gusev Crater: Landing site to Backstay Rock in the Columbia Hills, J. Geophys. Res., 111(E2), E02S01, doi:10.1029/2005JE002499.

Golombek, M., L. Crumpler, J. Grant, R. Greeley, N. Cabrol, T. Parker, J. Rice, J. Ward, R. E. Arvidson, J. Moersch, R. Fergason, P. Christensen, A. Castano, A. Haldemann, R. Li, J. Bell, and S. Squyres, 2006, Geology of the Gusev Plains from the Spirit Rover Traverse, J. Geophys. Res., 111(E2), E02S07, doi:10.1029/2005JE002503.

Grant, J., R. E. Arvidson, L. S. Crumpler, M. P. Golombek, B. Hahn, A. F. C. Haldemann, R. Li, L. A. Soderblom, S. W. Squyres, S. P. Wright, and W. A. Watters, 2006, Crater Gradation in Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum, Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 111(E2), E02S08, doi:10.1029/2005JE002465.

Greeley, R, R. E. Arvidson, P. W. Barlett, D. Blaney, N. A. Cabrol. P. Christensen, R. R. Fergason, M. P. Golombek, G. A. Landis, M. T. Lemmon, S. M. McLennan, J. N. Maki, T. Michaels, J. E Moersch, L. D. V. Neakrase, S. C. R. Rafkin, L. Richter, S. W. Squyres, P. A. de Souza, Jr., R. J. Sullivan, S. D. Thompson, P. L. Whelley, 2006, Gusev Crater: Wind-related features and processes observed by the Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, J. Geophys. Res., 111(E2), E02S09, doi:10.1029/2005JE002491.