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Lauren Mc Keown

Photo of Lauren Mc Keown

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, CA 91109

Curriculum Vitae:

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Website:

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Member of:

Planetary Geosciences

JPL Postdoctoral Fellow

Biography

I am a planetary geomorphologist from Dublin, Ireland studying icy surface processes on Mars and Europa through laboratory analog work and remote-sensing image analysis. I have a cross-disciplinary background, with a PhD in Planetary Science from Trinity College, Dublin and an undergraduate degree in Physics with Astronomy and Space Science from University College Dublin.

Specifically, I am interested in better understanding the formation of `spiders’ (more formally known as araneiforms). These are Martian features that have no Earth analogs and are formed by the interaction between seasonal dry ice sublimation and granular substrate. As a JPL Postdoctoral Fellow, I am investigating the relationship between distinct morphologies of spiders and specific local environmental conditions – past and present.

More broadly, I am also using a comparative-planetology approach to understanding the origin of a `spider-like’ feature on Europa. Additionally, I am interested in active and recent surface features and landforms on Mars and have applied mapping and morphological analysis techniques to linear dune gullies and their associated pits, as well as potentially periglacial environments. I am also working on getting more involved in mission development as a Europa Clipper Project Science Affiliate and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE Team Affiliate.

I enjoy teaching and mentoring and have previously worked as a tenured lecturer in planetary surfaces at Birkbeck, University of London. I also have research experience at NASA Ames, The Open University and The Natural History Museum, London and project management experience at a tech startup spun out of The University of Cambridge. I really enjoy working with the media to share my research with the general public. Outside of science, I love to paint, do my own gel nails, play with (annoy) my cat and in the spirit of embracing LA life, I have developed an unusual hobby of attending movie and TV tapings and premieres.

Education

  • Ph.D., Planetary Science, Trinity College Dublin, 2019
  • B.Sc., Physics with Astronomy and Space Science, University College Dublin, 2013

Professional Experience

~ Europa Clipper Project Science Affiliate, Oct 2022 – present

~ HiRISE Team Affiliate, Apr 2022 – present

~ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA Jan 2022 – present

JPL Postdoctoral Fellow

  • Investigating Martian spider formation by CO2 sublimation via analog laboratory experiments and remote sensing image analysis for the project `Araneiforms on Mars: a window into the role of landscape modification by carbon dioxide sublimation’, funded by NASA ROSES’ Mars Data Analysis Program (MDAP) (role: CO-I).

~ Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK, Jan 2022 – present

Associate Research Fellow

  • Honorary Association with College.

~ Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK, Aug 2021 – Dec 2021

Tenured Lecturer in Planetary Surfaces

  • Lecturing and research in the field of planetary surfaces.
  • Co-supervision of H. Kreider M.Sc. thesis at University College London.

~ University College London, London, UK, Aug 2021 – Dec 2021

Honorary Lecturer

~ The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK, March 2021 – July 2021

Postdoctoral Research Associate

  • Preparation of laboratory experiments on collisions of mm and cm-sized icy grains under low temperature and vacuum conditions in order to understand aggregation around the snowline in proto-planetary disks during planetary formation.

~ Utopia-Argyre Periglacial Working Group, Remote, Sept 2020 – Jan 2021

Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Mapping and statistical analysis of putatively periglacial surface features on Mars using HiRISE images.

~ The Irish Times Space Camp, Remote, Jul 2020 – Sept 2020

Fact Checker

  • Fact checking scientific content relating to the Solar System and space exploration for a video series published online

~ The Natural History Museum, London, UK, Jul 2019 – Jul 2020

Postdoctoral Research Associate

  • Analyzed multi–wavelength remote–sensing datasets of the Martian surface to map > 10,000 craters and apply model age fits to identify 6 possible source locations of Shergottite Martian meteorites.

~ Textile Two Dimensional, University of Cambridge, UK, Apr 2019 – Jul 2019

Project Manager

  • Agile project management at a startup spun out of the University of Cambridge and funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Managed medium–scale projects from start to completion. Communicated difficult scientific concepts to investors during pitching events.

~ Utopia-Argyre Periglacial Working Group, Remote, Oct 2018 – Apr 2019

Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Mapped high–centered and low–centered polygons and statistically analysed these data to test ice–wedging formation hypothesis.

~ NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, Jun 2015 – Aug 2015

NASA International Intern

  • One of two Irish PhD students selected and funded to partake in the NASA International Internship Program by the Irish Research Council.
  • Analyzed NASA astrobiology empirical datasets on metabolic control for long‑haul spaceflight to Mars. Advisor: Dr. Yuri Griko.
  • Investigated methods to monitor Enceladus’ plume from Earth. Advisor: Dr. Chris McKay.

Community Service

Conference Organization:

  • NASA proposal review (2022)
  • Journal reviews: Planetary and Space Science (2021), JGR: Planets (2019, 2018), Icarus (2019), Geological Society London (2018, 2017)
  • Conference co-convenor: Quaternary Mars session, 20th International Union for Quaternary Research Congress, Dublin Ireland, 2019
  • Chair: Processes on Modern Mars session, 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, Texas, 2019
  • Chair: Active Surface Processes session, 6th International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, Reykjavik, Iceland, 2016

Scientific Evaluation/Reviewing Activities:

Planetary and Space Science (2021), JGR: Planets (2019, 2018), Icarus (2019), Geological Society London (2018, 2017)

Research Interests

  • Developing and investigating formation hypotheses for icy planetary surface features
  • Designing, leading and conducting laboratory analog experiments involving icy surface processes under low pressure – applying photogrammetry techniques (SfM, Agisoft Metashape) and statistical analysis (Matlab, Python) to conduct morphological analysis of spiders, sand furrows and pits formed by CO2 sublimation
  • Testing and validation of numerical models of seasonal dynamics under Mars pressure – installing hardware, data acquisition and analysis
  • Surveying, mapping and measuring Martian surface features using GIS systems (ArcGIS, QGIS, JMARS) and synthesizing data using statistical techniques to validate/generate hypotheses regarding seasonal/recent drivers of feature formation
  • Combining relative stratigraphy/contextual analysis with statistical techniques to investigate potentially periglacial origins of polygonally-patterned ground on Mars
  • Seasonal change detection observations of active Martian surface features specifically with HiRISE
  • Surface age-dating of rayed craters to identify possible source locations of Shergottite Martian meteorites
  • Comparative planetology – using Mars analogs to better understand surface expression on other icy planetary surfaces

Selected Awards

  • CO-I: International Space Science Institute International Team Funding, 2022. ISSI Bern funding to build a team and host international meetings on laboratory ices.
  • CO-I: NASA ROSES Mars Data Analysis Program (MDAP), 2021. Named postdoc on project entitled ‘Araneiforms on Mars: a window into the role of landscape modification by carbon dioxide sublimation’.
  • 7th International Mars Polar Science and Exploration Conference Travel Grant, 2020: to present invited talk in Ushuaia, Argentina.
  • Planetary Science Institute Pierazzo International Student Travel Award, 2018: awarded to one non-US student annually, presented at the 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas.
  • PI: Europlanet European Union Horizon 2020 Award: funded the design and execution of Mars analog laboratory experiments at the Open University Mars Simulation Chamber, 2017
  • PI: Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship, 2015: funded 3 years of PhD including travel and research expenses.
  • Irish Research Council NASA International Student Internship: One of two Irish postgraduates selected and funded to complete internship at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA.

Selected Publications

  • Mc Keown, L.E., McElwaine, J.N., Bourke, M.C., Sylvest, M.E., Patel, M.R., The Formation of Araneiforms by Carbon Dioxide Venting and Vigorous Sublimation Dynamics Under Martian Atmospheric Pressure, Nature Scientific Reports, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82763-7
  • Mc Keown, L.E., Bourke, M.C., McElwaine, J.N., Sylvest, M.E., Patel, M.R., Experiments On Sublimating Carbon Dioxide Ice and
    Implications for Contemporary Surface Processes On Mars, Nature Scientific Reports, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14132-2
  • Mc Keown, L.E., Diniega, S., Bourke, M.C., Schwamb, M.E., Morphometric Trends and Implications for the Formation of Araneiform Clusters, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118049
  • Mc Keown, L.E., Diniega, S. Portyankina, G., Aye, K-M., Hansen, C.J., Piqueux, S., Scully, J.E.C., Poston, M., Martian Araneiforms: A Review, Invited review paper, JGR: Planets, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JE007684
  • Harris, J.K., Mc Keown, L.E., Parenti, C., Grindrod, P.M., Tornabene, L.L., An Updated Global Catalogue of Rayed Craters on Mars: Potential Source Locations for Martian Meteorites, Earth and Space Science, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EA001814
  • Late Amazonian Epoch glacial deposits on Mars: Using setting, structure and stratigraphy to understand ice evolution and climate history Koutnik, M., Butcher, F., Soare, R., Hepburn, A., Hubbard, B., Brough, S., Gallagher, C., Mc Keown, L.E., Pathare, A. Book chapter in ‘Ice is Nice: a Volatile‑Rich Journey from the Inner to the Outer Solar System’, 2022, In Press
  • Soare, R., Costard, F., Williams, J.‑P., Gallagher, C., Hepburn, A.J., Stillman, D., Koutnik, M., Conway, S.J.,Philippe, M., Butcher, F.E.G., Mc Keown, L.E., Godin, E., The freeze‑thaw cycling of water and landscape evolution on Mars; why not? Book chapter in ‘Ice is Nice: a Volatile‑Rich Journey from the Inner to the Outer Solar System’, 2022, In Press
  • Diniega, S., Bramson, A.M., Buratti, B., Buhler, P., Burr, D.M., Chojnacki, M., Conway, S.J., Dundas, C.M., Hansen, C.J., Mcewen, A.S., Mc Keown, L.E., Lapôtre, M.G.A., Levy, J., Own, L.E., Piqueux, S., Portyankina, G., Swann, C., 2021 Titus, T.N., Widmer, J.N., Modern Mars Geomorphological Activity, Driven by Wind, Frost and Gravity, Geomorphology, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107627
  • Soare, R.J., Philippe, M., Conway, S.J., Williams, J‐P., Mc Keown, L.E., Godin, E., Hawkswell, J. Possible Ice‐wedge Polygonisation in Utopia Planitia, Mars and its Poleward Gradient with Latitude, Icarus, 2020
  • Soare, R.J., Conway, S.J., Williams, J.P., Gallagher, C., Mc Keown, L.E., Possible Pingo and Ice‐Wedge/Thermokarst Complexes at the Mid Latitudes of Utopia Planitia, Mars, Icarus, 2019
  • Diniega, S., Bramson, A., Buratti, B., Buhler, P., Burr, D., Chojnacki, M., Conway, C., Daubar, I., Dinwiddie, C.L., Grau Galofre, A., Jackson, B., McEwen, A., Lapôtre, M., Levy, J., Mc Keown, L.E, Piqueux, S., Portyankina, A., Rafkin, S., Silvestro, S., Smith, I., Swann, C., and Widmer, J., Mars as a “natural laboratory” for studying surface activity on a range of planetary bodies, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Whitepaper #123 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.950513cc
  • Smith, I., et al., incl Mc Keown, Solar-System-Wide Significance of Mars Polar Science, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Whitepaper #301 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.4db95c67