Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry research focuses on the measurement of a wide variety of elements and their isotopes in astromaterials to understand the processes and timing of events that took place during solar system formation, planetary evolution, and differentiation.
Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry research focuses on the measurement of a wide variety of elements and their isotopes in astromaterials to understand the processes and timing of events that took place during solar system formation, planetary evolution, and differentiation.
Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry research focuses on the measurement of a wide variety of elements and their isotopes in astromaterials to understand the processes and timing of events that took place during solar system formation, planetary evolution, and differentiation.
The Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry group characterizes astromaterials for major, minor, volatile, and trace element contents as well as for isotopic compositions for both stable and radiogenic elements in bulk samples and individual phases. These high resolution measurements are integrated into a petrological context in order to understand the origin of our solar system, the processes that transformed nebular dust and gas into the building blocks of planets, and planet formation (accretion & differentiation).

Ongoing research themes include (1) Isotopic and geochemical studies of primitive meteorites and their early-formed components to explore the formation environments, dynamics, and timing of protoplanetary disk evolution, (2) Volatile element research in planetary materials to understand the abundance, distribution and origin of water in the inner solar system, (3) Petrological and geochemical studies to investigate asteroid differentiation and martian surface lithologies and geology, and (4) Geochemical and geochronological studies of crustal rocks to examine terrestrial planet formation.

Research Group Leads
Justin Simon
NASA justin.i.simon@nasa.gov |
Rosalind Armytage
Jacobs-JETS rosalind.m.armytage@nasa.gov |
Research Group Leads
Justin Simon
NASA justin.i.simon@nasa.gov |
Rosalind Armytage
Jacobs-JETS rosalind.m.armytage@nasa.gov |
Laboratories
Publications
Click on this link to view publications that have been authored by members of the Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry Research Group.