Dr. Bethany L. Ehlmann - Caltech 

The last decade of Mars exploration has revealed a rich mineralogic and stratigraphic record of water on Mars in rocks preserving lakes, rivers, groundwaters, hydrothermal systems, as well as more Mars-specific ice sublimation phenomena. Teasing out the signal of climate is the challenge of the coming decade. We now know that early Mars was wet and habitable. The questions have transitioned to determining whether the climate was warm and wet or cold and icy, whether warm(er) climates were continuous or episodic, and what the key controls were. Also, were available habitats inhabited by life?  I will review some of the key stratigraphies and clues from mineralogy, chemistry, and isotopes with an eye toward what we can learn from the Mars 2020 mission.

Dean's office reception to follow