Rosaly Lopes

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Rosaly Lopes
Born
Rosaly M. C. Lopes[2]

(1957-01-08) January 8, 1957 (age 67)
Rio de Janeiro
Other namesRosaly M. C. Lopes-Gautier
Alma materUniversity College, University of London
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsPlanetary geologist, volcanologist
InstitutionsJet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
Websitescience.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Lopes
External videos
video icon "Women at JPL – Rosaly Lopes, Planetary Geologist", Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
video icon "Through the Eyes of Scientists – Meet Rosaly Lopes", Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA

Rosaly M. C. Lopes (born January 8, 1957)[3] is a planetary geologist, volcanologist, an author of numerous scientific papers and several books, as well as a proponent of education. Her major research interests are in planetary and terrestrial surface processes with an emphasis on volcanology.[2][4][5][6]

Life and scientific career

Lopes was born in

Poppy Northcutt,[3] she moved to London in England in 1975 to study astronomy at the University of London. She graduated with honours in astronomy in 1978. During her final semester, she took a planetary science course[7] with John Guest – and three weeks into the course, Mount Etna exploded. Lopes decided to change her field of study to volcanoes, on earth and in space.[3][7][8]

For her doctoral studies, she specialized in planetary geology and volcanology, completing her PhD in Planetary Science in 1986 with a thesis on comparing volcanic processes on Earth and Mars. During her PhD she travelled extensively to active volcanoes[7] and became a member of the UK's Volcanic Eruption Surveillance Team. Her first experience of an active volcano was of Mount Etna in Sicily in 1979.[3]

Lopes began her post doctorate career as the Curator of Modern Astronomy and Deputy Head of the Astronomy Section at the

Naples, Italy as a Visiting Researcher.[3]

She joined the

National Research Council Resident Research Associate in 1989 and, after two years, became a member of the Galileo spacecraft project.[7] She worked on the Near Infra-red Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) team planning and analyzing observations of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io from 1996 to 2001.[9] She discovered 71 volcanoes on Io that had never before been detected as active.[3][10]

In 2002, she became Investigation Scientist on the RADAR Team supporting the

cryovolcanism).[10][12][13]

She has participated in several studies of future NASA and European Space Agency missions as a member of the science definition team, including missions to Saturn and Titan. She serves on several committees, including the Annual Program Committee of the

Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. Her past committee experience includes the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council's Space Studies Board Committee to plan for NASA's New Frontiers missions (2007–2008), the JPL Director's Advisory Committee for Women, the Committee for Minorities and Women in Geosciences of the Geological Society of America, and the Subcommittee on Diversity at the American Geophysical Union.[11]

Her awards include the Latinas in Science medal from the Comisión Feminil Mexicana Nacional in 1991, the 1997 Woman of the Year in Science and Technology Award from the Miami-based GEM television, the 2005

Fellow of the AAAS, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club.[11]

Lopes has authored over 100 research papers, articles, book chapters and encyclopaedia entries. She has been active in the media, featured on numerous documentaries for

History Channel, PBS, and on Nightline on American television, and has been interviewed by national and international media.[11]

She has written seven books, including Volcanic Worlds: Exploring the Solar System Volcanoes (Praxis-Springer, 2004), Io After Galileo: A New View of Jupiter's Volcanic Moon (Praxis-Springer, 2007), and Alien Volcanoes (Johns Hopkins Press, 2008). The Volcano Adventure Guide (Cambridge University Press, 2005) describes every volcano on the planet[7] and how to behave around them, information that is essential for anyone wishing to visit or photograph active volcanoes.[14]

You've got to know what you're doing around active volcanoes... I've come across people who are totally unprepared.

— Rosaly Lopes[7]

Other work and interests

Lopes is a supporter of education, diversity, and outreach both nationally and internationally. She has given public lectures in several countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas and was the co-organizer of the United Nations/European Space Agency/The Planetary Society workshops in 1992 and 1993. In 2005, she was awarded the Carl Sagan Medal by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society,[15] in recognition of her efforts in public education, particularly among Hispanic groups and young women.[16] This work includes talks, interviews, articles, a book on planetary volcanism, and efforts to nurture and mentor young scientists. Her hobbies include scuba diving, hiking, visiting volcanoes, and collecting volcano art.

Selected bibliography

Library resources about
Rosaly Lopes
By Rosaly Lopes

Selected media

Selected documentaries and TV shows include:[11]

  • History Channel's "Prehistoric Megastorms" (2008);
  • "Heads Up" Science Series, Knowledge TV, Canada, episode on New Horizons (January 2008);
  • History Channel's "Search for E.T.", in "The Universe" series (August 2007);
  • PBS "Wired Science" interview on volcanoes (October 2007);
  • Discovery Channel's "Titan: Rendezvous with Saturn's Moon" (updated version, May 2007);
  • National Geographic Television's "Naked Science: Deadliest Planets" (December 2006);
  • History Channel's "Ask Mr. Know-It-All", pilot episode (as expert on volcanic dust), 2006;
  • History Channel's "Inside the Volcano" (December 2006);
  • Discovery Channel's "Rewind 2006" (science stories of 2006, December 2006);
  • National Geographic Television's "Hollywood Science: Forces of Nature" (April 2006);
  • Nightline's "Galileo" (September 2003);
  • Discovery Channel's "Planet Storm" (2001);
  • Discovery Channel's "95 Worlds and Counting" (2001)

References

  1. ^ a b "The 2014 Lowell Thomas Awards Dinner". The Explorers Club. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  2. ^
    S2CID 121806968
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 9781613744383
    . Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  4. ^ Lopes, Rosaly M. "Rosaly M. C. Lopes (Resumé)" (PDF). Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  5. ^ Lopes, Rosaly M. "Planetary Science: People / Rosaly Lopes". Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  6. ^ Lopes, Rosaly M. C. "Rosaly M. C. Lopes". International Astronomical Union. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Shalby, Colleen (August 15, 2012). "Rosaly Lopes and the enigmatic workings of volcanoes". AAAS Member Central. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  8. ^ Peckyno, Robert (December 19, 2011). "Interview: Rosaly M.C. Lopes, Planetary Scientist". Volcano World : Supplement. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  9. ^ "A Conversation with Rosaly Lopes". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. August 1, 2001.
  10. ^ a b Thornton, Stuart (May 11, 2011). "Cold Explosion". National Geographic.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Rosaly M. C. Lopes" (PDF). Jet Propulsion Laboratory , California Institute of Technology. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  12. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.09.006
    .
  13. ^ "Surface features on Titan form like Earth's, but with a frigid twist" (PDF). INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION. August 6, 2009.
  14. ^ Radford, Tim (January 12, 2005). "Peer review: The Volcano Adventure Guide by Rosaly Lopes". Science. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  15. ^ "Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science". Division for Planetary Sciences. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  16. ^ "2005 DPS Prize Recipients". Division for Planetary Sciences. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rosaly_Lopes&oldid=1188208631"