Merve Yeşilbaş

2022-  Assistant Professor, Umeå University

2019-2022 Post doc at SETI Institute (USA) and NASA Astrobiology Institute with J. Bishop. (http://fb.watch/c1x0cj2i1w/)

Supported by a Postdoctoral Grant by the Swedish Research Council (Umeå University) and a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellowship.

2018 Ph.D Chemistry, Umeå University.
Thesis can be found here

2013 MSc Physics, Umeå University

2011 BSc Physics, Yıldız Technical University, Turkey

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Planetary Geochemistry and Spectroscopy

We are searching for one of the biggest quests of humanity: “Are We Alone?”. To resolve this, we are addressing the following questions:

• Is there water on Mars?

• What is the role of water in martian geochemical history?

• How can we reveal the potential water resources for future human explorations on Mars?

Our research focuses on the geochemical changes of the planet Mars and alien oceans using spectroscopic techniques. We use martian analogue rocks and soils collected from the extreme environments on Earth to reveal the geochemical and climate history of Mars. We combine the laboratory data with martian orbit data, especially the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM).

If you would like to know more about ongoing research from our lab, you could watch this IceLab pitch link given by the group leader Dr. Yeşilbaş.

More details on our new research laboratories on Planetary Geochemistry and Spectroscopy Group will be posted shortly!

Per Aspera Ad Astra!🚀

Postdoc Project at NASA/SETI (2019-2022)

Supported by a Postdoctoral Grant by the Swedish Research Council and by the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellowship that administrated through Universities Space Research Association (USRA) for NASA Astrobiology Institute.

I am currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at the SETI Institute (www.seti.org) in Mountain View (CA, USA). SETI (Search for Extraterrestial Life and Intelligence) Institute is a non-profit research organization collaborates with the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). I am supported by a Swedish Research Council International Postdoctoral Grant (2018-06694) and the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellowship, both awarded to me.

My research aims to understand the aqueous processes and geochemical environment on Mars, revealing the potential water resources, and life signatures for future human explorations. Advancing that, my research bridges the laboratory analyses of minerals and martian analogues with Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM) remote sensing data from Mars.

Current Research Activities:

Reactions at minerals-water/ice interface:

• Develop a fundamental understanding for formation and reactivity of ice, water, cryosalt formation at minerals using low-temperature vibrational spectroscopy.
• Atmospheric gas adsorption at mineral-water and mineral-ice interfaces.

Mars Analog studies:

• Analysis of low- and high temperature FTIR and thermal gravimetric laboratory data of analogue materials; focusing on iron-bearing phyllosilicates and sulphate minerals, volcanic soils (e.g. Hawaii), and sediments from frozen desert environments (e.g. Antarctic Dry Valleys).
• Probe ‘the transient liquid salty water formation’ in martian analogues to develope a fundamental understanding for Mars (sub)surface processes using low- temperature FTIR spectroscopy.

Mars surface composition and processes:

• Remote Sensing using CRISM data: Analysis of VNIR spectral analyses to characterize surface minerals; focusing on identifying OH/H₂O-bearing minerals (e.g. clays, sulphates) to understand the history of water activity on Mars.