
Valerie Tu
Mars Research Scientist | Jacobs
Valerie Tu
Mars Research Scientist
Jacobs
Phone
281.483.3502
Phone
281.483.3502
Biography
Valerie Tu is a Mars research scientist within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA Johnson Space Center. Tu investigates and characterizes Martian geology and mineralogy, and is a collaborator on the CheMin instrument on the Mars rover, Curiosity. Her research involves studying minerals found on the surface of Mars, and making implications for water-rock interactions, which is important for understanding the environments in which they were formed and the potential for past habitability.
Education
M.S.
Geological Sciences
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2013
B.S.
Geological Sciences
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2011
Education
M.S., Geological Sciences, 2013
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
B.S., Geological Sciences, 2011
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Laboratories
Select Publications
Rampe, E.B., Blake, D., Bristow, T.F., Ming, D., Vaniman, D., Rmorris, R.V., Achilles, C., Chipera, S., Morrison, S., Tu, V., et al. (2020), Mineralogy and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediments in Gale crater, Mars: A review after six Earth years of exploration with Curiosity. Chemie der Erde Geochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2020.125605
Rampe, E.B, Bristow, T.F., Morris, R.V, Achilles, C.N., Ming, D.W., Blake, D.F., Tu, V.M, Yen, A.S., Peretyazhko, T., Des Marais, D.J., Thorpe, M.M., Fraeman, A.A., Mcadam, A.C., Sutter, B. (2020), Mineralogy of Vera Rubin Ridge from the Mars Science Laboratory CheMin Instrument. Journal of Geophysical Research- Planets, American Geophysical Union. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006306
Achilles, C.N., Ming, D.W., Rampe, E.B., Morris, R.V., Blake, D.F., Yen, A.S., Bristow, T.F., Sutter, B., Mcadam, A.C., Fedo, C.M., Gwizd, S., Thompson, L.M., Gellert, R., Morrison, S.M., Treiman, A.H., Crisp, J.A., Gabriel, T.S.J., Chipera, S.J., Hazen, R.M., Craig, P.I., Thorpe, M.T., Des Marais, D.J., Grotzinger, J.P., Tu, V.M., Castle, N., Downs, G.W., Peretyazhko, T.S., Walroth, R.C., Sarrazin, P., Morookian, J.M., (2020), Evidence for Multiple Diagenetic Episodes in Ancient Fluvial-Lacustrine Sedimentary Rocks in Gale Crater, Mars. Journal of geophysical research. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006295
Morris, R.V., Rampe, E.B., Christoffersen, R., Yen, A.S., Ming, D.W., Achilles, C.N., Fraeman, A.A., Le, L., Tu, V.M., Hogancamp, J., Graff, T. (2020), Hydrothermal Precipitation of Sanidine (Adularia) Having Full Al, Si Structural Disorder and Specular Hematite at Maunakea Volcano (Hawai'i) and at Gale Crater (Mars). Journal of geophysical research. Planets (2169-9097). https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE006324
Clark, J.V., Archer, P.D., Gruener, J.E., Ming, D.W., Tu, V.M., Niles, P.B., Mertzman, S.A. (2020),
JSC-Rocknest: A Large-Scale Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS) Based Soil Simulant for In-Situ Resource Utilization Water-Extraction Studies. Elsevier, Icarus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.113936
Hogancamp, J.V., Sutter, B., McAdam, A.C., Tu, V., Rampe, E.B., Ming, D.W., Navarro-Gonalez, R., Mahaffy, P.R. (2020), High-temperature hydrogen chloride releases from mixtures of sodium chloride with kieserite: Implications for the chlorine-mineralogy as determined by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument on the Curiosity rover in Gale Crater, Mars. AGU abstract.
Achilles, C.N., Morris, R.V., Bristow, T.F., Gabriel, T.S.J., Rampe, E.B., Sutter, B., Yen, A.S., Thorpe, M.T., Chipera, S.J., McAdam, A.C., Ming, D.W., Blake, D.F., Vaniman, D.T., Morrison, S.M., Downs, R.T., Tu, V.M., Des Marais, D.J., Hazen, R.M., Treiman, A.H., Castle, N., Craig, P.I., Grotzinger, J.P., Downs, G.W., Peretyazhko, T.S. (2020) The X-ray Amorphous Composition of Rocks Sampled from the Greenheugh Pediment and Underlying Murray Formation. AGU abstract.
Bristow, T.F., Rampe, E.B., Grotzinger, J.P., Fox, V.K., Bennett, K.A., Yen, A.S., Vasavada, A.R., Vaniman, D.T., Tu, V.M., Treiman, A.H., Thorpe, M.T., Morrison, S.M., Morris, R.V., Ming, D.W., McAdam, A.C., Malespin, C.A., Mahaffy, P.R., Hazen, R.M, Gupta, S., Downs, R.T., Downs, G.W., Des Marais, D.J., Crisp, J.A., Craig, P.I, Chipera, S.J., Castle, N., Blake, D.F., Achilles, C.N. (2019), Clay Minerals of Glen Torridon, Mount Sharp, Gale Crater, Mars. 9TH INTERNATIONAL MARS CONFERENCE abstract # 6390.
E.B. Rampe, T.F. Bristow, D.F. Blake, D.T. Vaniman, S.M. Morrison, D.W. Ming, R.V. Morris, C.N. Achilles, S.J. Chipera, R.T Downs, R.M. Hazen, A.H. Treiman, A.S. Yen, V. Tu, N. Castle, J.P. Grotzinger, T.S. Peretyazhko, M.T. Thorpe, P.I Craig, G.W. Downs (2019), New perspectives of ancient Mars: Mineral diversity and crystal chemistry at Gale crater from the CheMin X-ray diffractometer. Mineral Society abstract #26573.
Elizabeth Rampe, Thomas Bristow, David Blake, David Vaniman, Mathieu Lapotre, Richard Morris, Douglas W. Ming, Albert Yen, Cherie Achilles, Raymond Arvidson, Steve Chipera, Gordon Downs, Robert Downs, John Grotzinger, Robert Hazen, Paul Mahaffy, Shaunna Morrison, Tanya Peretyazhko, Allan Treiman, Valerie Tu, Nicholas Castle, Patricia Craig, Sean Czarnecki, Travis Gabriel, Ralf Gellert, Craig Hardgrove, Roger Wiens (2019), Mineralogy of modern regolith and ancient sedimentary deposits in Gale crater, Mars from the Curiosity rover. SSSA ABSTRACT # 148-1.
E.B. Rampe, T.F. Bristow, D.F. Blake, D. Vaniman, R.V. Morris, D.W. Ming, S.M. Morrison, A. Yen, C.N. Achilles, R. Hazen, R.T. Downs, A.H. Treiman, S. Chipera, V. Tu, P. Craig, Castle, N., Thorpe, M. Walroth, R.C., G. Downs, T. Peretyazhko, J.P. Grotzinger, D.D. Marais, M.R. Salvatore (2019) Mineralogical evidence for water-rock interactions in ancient Gale crater, Mars from the CheMin instrument on the Curiosity rover. AGU abstract.
R.V., Morris, Rampe, E.B., Morrison, Vaniman, D.T., Downs, R.T., Achilles, C.N., Treiman, A.H, Yen, A.S., Ming, D.W., Hazen, R.M., Bristow, T.F., Blake, D.F., Chipera, S.J., Adams, M., Hamilton, J.C., Graff, T.G., Le, L., Hogancamp, J.V., Tu, V.M., Mertzman, S.A., 2018, High Sanidine With a Hydrothermal Origin on Mauna Kea Volcan (Hawaii) as a Process Analogue for High Sanidine Detected at Gale Crater (Mars) by CheMin, 49th LPSC [abstract #2183].
Craig, P.I., Rudolph, A., Morris, R.V., Achilles, C.N., Rampe, E.B., Treiman, A.H., Bristow, T.F., Ming, D.W., Blake, D.F., Vaniman, D.T., Downs, R.T., Morrison, S.M, Yen, A.S., Farmer, J., Des Marais, D.J., Castle, N., Chipera, S.J., Hazen, R. Peretyazhko, T.S., Tu, V., 2018, Collapsed Smectite in Gale Crater: Martian Clay Minerals May Have Been on Acid, 49th LPSC [abstract # 1986].
Rampe, E.B, Bristow, T.F., Blake, D.F., Vaniman, D.T., Achilles, C.N., Castle, N., Chipera, S.J., Craig, P.I., Des Marais, D.J., Downs, R.T., Farmer, J. Hazen, R., Horgan, B., Lapotre, M., Ming, D.W., Morris, R.V., Morrison, SM., Peretryazhko, T.S., Treiman, A.H., Tu, V., Yen, A.S., 2018, Mineralogy of Aeolian Sand in Gale Crater, Mars 49th LPSC [abstract #1654].
Hogancamp, J.V., Archer, P.D., Morris, R.V., Tu, V., Lanza, N. et al. 2018, Detectability of Manganese-Bearing Phaes by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument On Board the Curiosity Rover in Gale Crater, Mars [abstract # 2482].
Morris, R.V., Bristow, T.F., Rampe, E.B., Yen, A.S., Vaniman, D.T., Tu, V.M, et al., 2019 Mineralogy and Formation Processes for the Vera Rubin Ridge at Gale Crater, Mars from CheMin XRD Analyses, 50th LPSC [abstract # 1127].
Morris, R.V., Rampe, E.B., Vaniman, D.T., Ming, D.W., Morrison, S.M., Christoffersen, R., Graff, T.G., Hogancamp, J.V., Le, L., Tu, V.M., Adams, M., Hamilton, J.C., Mertzman, S.A., Achilles, C.N., Bristow, T.F., Blake, D.F., Chipera, S.J., Down, R.T., Hazen, R.M., Treiman, A.T., Castle, N., Ott, J.P., Yen, A.S., 2019, Hydrothermal Formation of Monoclinic High Sanidine on Mauna Kea Volcano (Hawaii) Provides Non-Igneous Formation Process for Monoclinic High Sanidine at Gale Crater (Mars), abstract [#6257], 9th International Mars Conference.
Bristow, T.F., Rampe, E.B., Grotzinger, J.P., Fox, V.K., Bennett, K.A., Yen, A.S., Vasavada, A.R., Vaniman, D.T., Tu, V.M., Treiman, A.H., Thorpe, M.T., Morrison, S.M., Morris, R.V., Ming, D.W., McAdam, A.C., Malespin, C.A., Mahaffy, P.R., Hazen, R.M, Gupta, S., Downs, R.T., Downs, G.W., Des Marais, D.J., Crisp, J.A., Craig, P.I, Chipera, S.J., Castle, N., Blake, D.F., Achilles, C.N. 2019 Clay Minerals of Glen Torridon, Mount Sharp, Gale Crater, Mars, 9th International Mars Conference abstract [#6390.]
Rampe, E.B., Tu, V. et al., 2019 The Mineralogical Record of Ancient Fluvio-Lacustrine in Gale Crater as Measured by the MSL CheMin Instrument, abstract [#6054], 9th International Mars Conference abstract.
Tu, V. M., Rampe, E.B., Morris, R.V., Perry, S.E., 2019 Partially Chloritized Smectites: Analogues of Smectites at Gale Crater, Mars, 50th LPSC [abstract # 2960].
Rampe, E.B., Laporte, M.G.A., Bristow, T.F., Arvidson, R.E., Morris, R.V., Achilles, C.N., Weitz, C., Blake, D.F., Ming, D.W., Morrison, S.M., Vaniman, D.T., Chipera, S.J., Downs, R.T., Grotzinger, J.P., Hazen, R.M., Peretyazhko, T.S., Sutter, B., Tu, V., Yen, A.S., Horgan, B., Castle, N., Craig, P.I., Des Marais, D.J., Farmer, J., Gellert, R., AcAdam, A.C., Morookian, J.M., Sarrazin, P.C., Treiman, A.H., (2018), Sand Mineralogy Within the Bagnold Dunes, Gale Crater, as Observed In Situ and From Orbit. Geophysical Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079073
20. RAMPE, Elizabeth B., LAPOTRE, Mathieu G.A., BRISTOW, Thomas F., ARVIDSON, Raymond, MORRIS, Richard V., ACHILLES, Cherie N., WEITZ, Catherine M., BLAKE, D.F., MING, Douglas W., MORRISON, Shaunna M., VANIMAN, David, CHIPERA, Steve, DOWNS, Robert T., EDGETT, K.S., GROTZINGER, John P., HAZEN, Robert M., PERETYAZHKO, Tanya, SUTTER, Brad, TU, Valerie M., YEN, Albert S., HORGAN, Briony, CASTLE, Nicholas, CRAIG, Patricia I., CZARNECKI, Sean M., DES MARAIS, David J., FARMER, Jack D., GABRIEL, Travis S.J., GELLERT, Ralf, HARDGROVE, Craig J., MCADAM, Amy, MOROOKIAN, John Michael M., SARRAZIN, Philippe and TREIMAN, A.H. (2018), Using Mineralogy of the Bagnold Dune Field in Gale Crater to Interpret Eolian Sediment Sorting on the Martian Surface. GSA abstract #54-2.
21. Morrison, S. M., Pan, F., Gagné, O. C., Prabhu, A. , Eleish, A., Fox, P. A., Downs, R. T. , Bristow, T., Rampe, E. B., Blake, D. F., Vaniman, D., Achilles, C., Ming, D. W., Yen, A., Treiman, A. H., Morris, R. V., Chipera, S., Craig, P. , Tu, V., Castle, N., Sarrazin, P., Des Marais, D. J., Hazen, R. (2018) Predicting Multi-Component Mineral Compositions in Gale crater, Mars with Label Distribution Learning. AGU abstract.
Rampe, E.B, Bristow, T., Blake, D.F., Vaniman, D., Morris, R.V., Ming, D.W., Yen, A., Achilles, C., Chipera, S., Tu, V., Edgett, K.S., Eigenbrode, J.L., Gellert, R., Grotzinger, J.P., Morrison, S.M., Des Marais, D.J., Downs, G., Downs, R.T., Gupta, S., Hazen, RM., Kah, L.C., Peretyazhko, T., Salvatore, M.R., Schmidt, M.E., Siebach, K.L., Sutter, B., Thompson, L.M., Treiman, A.H., Berger, J.A., Castle, N., Craig, P., Fairen, A.G., Forni, O., Hurowitz, J., Lanze, N. (2018) Evidence for Alteration and Diagenesis at Gale Crater, Mars from the Curiosity Rover. AGU abstract.
Tu, V.M., Hausrath, E.M., Tschauner, O., Iota, V. and Egeland, G.W. (2014) Dissolution rates of amorphous Al- and Fe-phosphate and their relevance to phosphate mobility on Mars. American Mineralogist 99:1206-1215. *This paper was selected by the editors of American Mineralogist as a “notable paper”.
Tu, V. and E.M. Hausrath (2013) Dissolution of amorphous Al- and Fe-phosphates: Implications for phosphate mobility on Mars, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XXXXIV Houston, TX Abstract #2577
Tu, V. and E.M. Hausrath (2012) Dissolution rates of amorphous Al- and Fe-phosphates and their relevance to Mars, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XXXXIII, Abstract #2609
Tu, V., Baumeister, J., Metcalf, R., Olsen, A., Hausrath, E. (2011), Serpentinite Weathering and Implications for Mars, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XXXXII, abstract #2303.
Baumeister, J.L., Tu, V., Evert, M.H., Metcalf, R.V., Olsen, A.A., and Hausrath, E.M., 2011, Chemical weathering of Serpentinite in the Klamath Mountains, California: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 43, no. 5, p. 63.
E. M. Hausrath and V. Tu, 2011, Reactive Transport Modeling of Phosphate Mobility Under Mars-like Conditions, 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2011), Abstract #2353.