R. E. Arvidson
Washington University in St. Louis, Planetary Science Institute
Papers
14
Total Citations
1,607
H-Index
12
About
R. E. Arvidson is a pioneering planetary geologist whose research has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of Mars’s surface and subsurface environments. His key contributions center on the robotic exploration of Mars, particularly through the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission and the Phoenix Lander. Arvidson’s work on the Phoenix mission was groundbreaking: he led the analysis of the Robotic Arm experiments, which confirmed the presence of water ice just beneath the surface at the Martian arctic landing site. His team’s discovery of calcium carbonate in the soil (356 citations) provided direct evidence for past aqueous processes and a potentially habitable environment. With over 559 citations for his work on H₂O at the Phoenix site, Arvidson’s research has been instrumental in characterizing the physical and chemical properties of Martian soil and ice. He also contributed to terramechanics modeling for rovers, aiding in the safe navigation of Spirit and Opportunity. His highly cited work on rock size-frequency distributions (104 citations) has helped interpret landing site geology. Through his leadership on Phoenix and MER, Arvidson has advanced our knowledge of Mars’s water history and its potential for past life.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1H <sub>2</sub> O at the Phoenix Landing Site559 citations · 2009
- 2Evidence for Calcium Carbonate at the Mars Phoenix Landing Site356 citations · 2009
- 3Mars Exploration Rover mission182 citations · 2003
- 4Results from the Mars Phoenix Lander Robotic Arm experiment132 citations · 2009
- 5
- 6NASA Mars 2007 Phoenix Lander Robotic Arm and Icy Soil Acquisition Device64 citations · 2008
- 7Phoenix soil physical properties investigation47 citations · 2009
- 8Compositions of subsurface ices at the Mars Phoenix landing site46 citations · 2010
- 9The Phoenix Mars Lander Robotic Arm35 citations · 2009
- 10