Edmond Grin "Ed"

Expertise: Planetary Geologist
Expedition Role: Deputy Principle Investigator/Bathymetry
Affiliation: NASA Ames/SETI Institute

Who I am and what I Do

I am a planetary research scientist. I have been very fortunate to work at NASA Ames Research Center, since 1994. NASA Ames is also the Center of Excellence for the search for the origin of Life on Earth and other planets. I focus my work on the study of the geology of the planet Mars. Why? The dry landscape of Mars is today similar to the surface of Earth when we believe the first organisms first appeared in an environment of water. In very ancient times, Mars was not a dry desert. The images of the surface sent to us by orbiting spacecraft around Mars show deep wide valleys with the remnants of ancient channels. The surface of Mars was at that time favorable for possible life forms.

Why has the water disappeared from the surface of Mars? Are the ancient channels and lakes keeping the evidence of hidden fossils of ancient organisms that could help us understand the origin of life? There are so many intriguing questions that it is important to send missions to Mars to seek answers. Today, I may not a final answer. However, I hope that I will contribute to the understanding of the history and evolution of water on Mars and to the search for the origin of life, and finally to the fascinating question: is there life in the Universe outside planet Earth? As a geologist and a hydrologist I have spent many, many years exploring our own planet. On our own planet valleys still have flowing rivers and also dry valleys in extreme isolated regions. I learned how to use water to produce electricity and irrigate farm fields. In deserts, I searched to find water hidden in the subsurface to project how it can be pumped for irrigation. Today I am applying my experience about terrestrial hydrology to the study of the surface of Mars where past water activity has left so many messages in the landscapes for the planetary geologists to decipher.

What do I do at NASA Ames?

I am still an explorer. The goal of my research is to reconstruct the past water activity on Mars through the analysis of images of landscapes that have been modified by ancient streams. I compare the Martian dry valleys with the valleys and canyons we see on Earth. By comparing terrestrial landforms with Martian features, such as rivers and lakes for instance, we can understand better what happened on Mars, how these rivers and valleys were formed and how they evolved through time. By studying the evidence of ancient shorelines, we can reconstruct the past volume of a Martian lake and imagine how it was few hundreds of millions of years ago and even a few billions of years ago. This is a really fascinating exploration which is rekindled by new images. The more images we acquire, the more they confirm that water was important in the formation of the Martian landscape and that ancient Mars was rich in water. In this perspective, I work like an archeologist or a historian of the history of water on Mars.
Water is the fundamental element of life. The search of water, past or present, is our best strategy in the search for life, extinct or extant, on Mars. We may send human crews in the future in places where we predict today with our technology and knowledge where the best chances are to find water reservoirs. All of this is really fascinating work to reconstruct the past flowing streams in valley or lakes just by the interpretation of images and theoretical hydrological modeling.

The search for water on Mars will not remain a mystery. We are on the edge of an extensive robotic exploration of Mars that will be conducted by an incoming generation of Martian planetary scientists. They will discover where water and ice is hidden, possibly life too. Engineers will operate smart robots used as surrogate field geologists that will be the precursors of landing crew on Mars. The landscape of Mars is so diversified that it will take many decades to explore. The future Martian explorers have to familiarize themselves with terrestrial landscapes such as deserts, large dry lakes, extreme environments where life is possible. They will have to imagine how to use robots on Mars.

My Career Journey

The lessons of the many years I have spent as field geologist and engineer exploring valleys, deserts, and extreme regions on Earth, to understand the history of rivers, and to asses the possibility to built water reservoir for hydropower stations or irrigation network is my most precious tool to explore Mars. I wanted to be a scientist to find out the relationship between processes and events that make the reality of the universe we live in. Why do rivers flow in one direction? Why does the Sun move? Why is the Moon is so strange and changes its phase? I studied to become an engineer but in the end I realized that I wanted to be an explorer of the Earth to discover rivers and valleys and to build artificial lakes.

I wanted to go the North Pole and stay exactly on the rotation axis of the Earth to live in perpetual day. I have read lots of books on polar expeditions.

Personal

I am from the generation of the last War. I grew up in the small mountainous country of Europe (Switzerland) during the World War II. As soon the war ended I started to travel the world to help to the reconstruction of city, bridges, and electric power station using rivers in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. I established my base in Paris (France) from where I traveled as a consulting engineer for constructions in rivers all round the world. I was very lucky and successful in my profession I think because I always totally invested myself in every project and scarified many times of my life outside my work. I am good at painting art and drawing, a talent, which I inherited from my father. I am skilled in house construction and I restored an old historical country house near Paris with the help of only one carpenter. I have climbed many 14 000 feet high peaks in Switzerland and practiced high altitude ski to test myself and to relax of my engineer life. I think to day that my hobby is the water on Mars.

A Few Words

My mother has taught me that studying was the best natural food for life. I know that the construction of my dams in wild rivers has generated new habitable landscapes. We can master our imagination and dreams to make them become reality. The secret to progress is the curiosity that leads us to test what we believe is the reality of the world. The privilege of a scientist is to doubt. This is why we are seekers of nature’s secrets on Earth and beyond. Kids of all ages ask questions even if they have no answer.

How is much better than why.