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.
Explain
what you learned from last year’s
expedition
I learned that there are lot
of nice people in the world, but I found
a lot of nice people at high altitude as
well, that many don’t get a chance
to meet or experience. Describe
how you will use information from last
year’s expedition to perform experiments
for this year’s mission
Last
year, we set in place Plexiglas plates
that measured the effects of UV radiation
on the algae and life living at the Lagunas
and summit lake. This year we plan to retrieve
samples from these plates and monitor the
effects of solar light radiation in the
ultra violet (UV) wave length that damages
the DNA of organisms. This is a central
experiment of the Licancabur expedition
which goal is the study of the origin of
life on Earth and other planets. The Licancabur
environment is a close analog to the past
environment of the planet Mars where life
may have found a favorable environment
to survive in the form of primitive microorganisms.
What strategies have developed in these
microorganisms if life may have been present
on Mars to survive the effect of the strong
UV radiation of Mars? The elevation and
the latitude at the site of the Licancabur
and the presence of a shallow water environment
offer a unique analog to develop an experiment
to study the effect of high UV radiation
on microorganisms. The first results on
samples collected in the shallow water
have shown that diatom microorganisms have
a modified DNA that is passed on the next
generation. The current long term (one
year duration) experiment is to test the
hypotheses of the UV radiation on microorganisms
such as periphyton (microorganisms that
can not search refuge under soil) and diatoms.
I have designed experimental stations composed
of one “chamber” protected
from UV by special manufactured translucide
sheets and another chamber that is not
protected from UV radiation. Each chamber
is submerged in shallow water on site where
microorganisms and algae form a food web.
During this campaign we will harvest the
two chambers separately to obtain a colony
protected during one year from UV that
will be compared to the one that was not
protected. We will observe for the first
time in the study of organisms how real
conditions the modify heir DNA. There are
4 stations in Laguna Blanca, 2 in Laguna
Verde and 1 at the summit lake. All samples
of plate organisms will be compared. This
year 15 new stations will be mounted in
the shallow water of the Laguna and Summit
Lake. Each station is composed of 10 Acrylite
plates, which have to be fit together by
acrylite legs, and nylon ties. This will
involve considerable teamwork of 4 persons
in boots and with rubber gloves in the
muddy shorelines of the windy Lagunas.
About 1200 lbs of rocks will be transported
from around to secure the stations from
waves generated on the lakes. Forty plastic
amber bottles will be used to collect and
ship microorganisms samples to Chilean,
Hungarian, and US laboratories. We expect
to discover new species of diatoms that
will confirm the ability of life to survive
in the extreme environment.
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.
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