Dr. David Vaniman

Dr. Dave Vaniman is a petrologits/geochemist who studies geologic histories on both Earth and Mars. His current research interests include the study of mineral chemistry as a guide to water-rock interactions encompassing past studies of alteration-mineral assemblages, including the near-surface hydrous mineralogy of Mars. Terrestrial focus for this interest has included the chemistry of zeolites and clay minerals with their record of groundwater interaction, interactions of minerals with actinide elements in groundwater, and the mineralogy and petrology of soils and springs. His current research addresses hydrous minerals in space environments, including brine-smectite reactions relevant to Mars. Past studies leading up to these projects include planetary regolith formation, petrology of lunar mare and highland basalts, studies of manned missions and planetary resources, and development of instrumentation for planetary mineralogy and geochemistry. Terrestrial research projects have included the late Precambrian (‘Pan-African’) terrain of Northern Nigeria, emplacement histories of granitic plutons, Precambrian metamorphosed iron formations in Minnesota and Montana, granite - carbonate interactions in Western Utah, basaltic volcanism of the southeastern Colorado Plateau, and basaltic volcanism of central and southern Nevada. Most recently the emphasis has been on Cenozoic basin-filling sedimentation and volcanism of north-central New Mexico and mineral chemistry of the Jurassic Todilto Formation.