Rosaly Lopes

Dr. Rosaly M. C. Lopes is a prominent planetary geologist, volcanologist, the author of numerous scientific papers and several books, as well as a great proponent of education. Her major research interests are in planetary and terrestrial surface processes with an emphasis on volcanology.

Life and scientific career

Lopes was (born January 1957 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), where she lived near the famous Ipanema beach. She moved to London, England, in 1975 to study astronomy at the University of London, from where she graduated with honors in astronomy in 1978. For her doctoral studies, she specialized in planetary geology and volcanology and completed her Ph.D. in Planetary Science in 1986 with a thesis on comparing volcanic processes on Earth and Mars. During her Ph.D. she traveled extensively to active volcanoes, particularly Mount Etna in Sicily, and became a member of the UK's Volcanic Eruption Surveillance Team. Lopes began her post doctorate career as the Curator of Modern Astronomy and Deputy Head of the Astronomy Section at the Old Royal Observatory in Greenwich, UK. In 1989 she performed hazard mapping at the Vesuvius Observatory in Italy as a Visiting Researcher at Osservatorio Vesuviano, Naples.

She joined JPL as National Research Council Resident Research Associate in 1989 and, after 2 years, became a member of the Galileo Flight project. Lopes worked on the Near Infra-red Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) team planning and analyzing of observations of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io from 1996 to 2001. During this exciting period of her career, she discovered 71 volcanoes on Io that had never before been detected as active. In 2002, Lopes became Investigation Scientist on the Cassini RADAR Team. She plans science observations of Saturn, its moons, and rings and Co-Chairs the Cassini Satellites Orbiter Science Team. Her main interest on Cassini is on Saturn's largest moon Titan. The Synthetic Aperture (SAR) data from the RADAR instrument show that Titan has volcanic features, but not like silicate volcanism on the Earth or Io. Titan's flows and other volcanic features are likely the result of ice volcanism (cryovolcanism).

She has participated on several studies of future NASA and ESA 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 American Association for the Advancemenr of Science, and the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences committee. She is currently the Chair of the Outer Planets group of the International Astronomical Union's 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 study the next announcement of opportunity (AO) 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.

Her awards include the Latinas in Science medal from the Commission Feminil Mexicana Nacional in 1991, the 1997 Woman of the Year in Science and Technology Award from the Miami-based GEM television, the 2006 Women at Work Award, the 2007 NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and the 2005 Carl Sagan Medal from the American Astronomical Society. She is a member of the International Astronomical Union, the American Geophysical Society, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club.

Lopes has written many research papers, articles, book chapters and encyclopedia entries. She has been active in the media, featured on numerous documentaries for Discovery channel, National Geographic, History Channel, PBS, and on Nightline, and interviewed by a variety of national and international media. She has written four books, "The Volcano Adventure Guide" (Cambridge University Press, 2005), "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).

Other work and interests

Lopes is a strong supporter of education, diversity, and outreach both nationally and internationally. She has given many 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, in recognition of her significant efforts over the past 20 years in public outreach and education, particularly among Hispanic groups and young women. This work includes innumerable public talks, media interviews, articles in magazines and newspapers, a book on planetary volcanism, and major efforts to nurture and mentor young scientists. Her hobbies include scuba diving, hiking, traveling to volcanoes all over the world, and collecting volcano art.

Selected documentaries and TV shows:History Channel’s “Prehistoric Megastorms” (2008); “Heads Up” Science Series, Knowledge TV, Canada, episode on New Horizons (January 2008);History Channels’ “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)

Bibliography

*
*
*
* Lopes, Rosaly M.C. and Carroll, Michael. Alien Volcanoes. Johns Hopkins Press, 2008, 152 pp, ISBN = 978-0-8018-8673-7.