National Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Institution
PO Box 37012
MRC 315
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

jrz@nasm.si.edu

Research Interests

Understanding how long lava flows (more than 50 km in length) are emplaced, on Earth, Mars, the Moon, and Venus. Investigating how possible oceans or lakes on Mars may have produced distinctive deposits at their shorelines, using terrestrial examples in Nevada as guides to the feature attributes. Learning how the many small sand dunes seen in the recent Mars Global Surveyor images are related to teh aeolian history of the planet. Basic geologic mapping of both Mars and Venus, focused on science questions relevant to each planet.

Current Research Projects

Geologic mapping of the Medusae Fossae Formation on Mars.
Geologic mapping of the northern lowland plains of Venus (Kawelu Planitia, Bellona Fossae).
Examination of contraints on emplacement of long lava flows on the terrestrial planets.
Investigation of pluvial and aeolian landforms on Earth as analogs to features on Mars.

Current or Projected Exhibits

Planned major renovation of the "Exploring the Planets" (gallery 207, NASM) in 2007 or later.

Recent Publications

see Research Staff listings at www.ceps.nasm.si.edu