Exoplanets & Petrology
Exoplanetary science is the literal next frontier for space geologists like me. So many unanswered questions; "Are other planets and solar systems similar to ours"? "What do plate tectonics look like outside of our solar system"? "What happens if you vary the amount of iron or magnesium that's available when planets are forming"? "Will that planet's mineralogy and geology be different from bodies in our solar system"?
I'm part of an interdisciplinary team building the petrology foundations that we need to be able to answer big questions like these . Learn more below!
The 'Star'-ting line
Astronomers have found thousands of exoplanets orbiting around nearby stars. Star elemental abundances are linked to the compositions of the planets that orbit around them. If we know a nearby star's composition, we know the basic elemental building blocks that might make an orbiting planet.
Elements & MELTS
Now that we have our elemental building blocks for a planet, we can use a petrologists tool box to melt and crystallize silicate compositions tied to the initial star composition. Just imagine your favorite ultra-mafic mantle rock composition and that's close to what we've now created.
MELTed Mantles
Using the petrologist's toolbox, we now have the likely mineral composition of a planetary mantle! With different starting compositions from different stars, each "exoplanet" we've crystallized has a unique thumbprint distinct by the minerals and modal proporations of those minerals.