Dr. Katie O'Sullivan, earned her bachelor's degree in geology from CSUB and like many Bakersfield residents, looked forward to exploring the world beyond - in her case, at the University of Notre Dame, where she received her PhD. But she ended up landing her dream job at CSUB, where she and her students study moon rocks.
More about Dr. O'Sullivan's research:
"Moon rocks crash into Earth as meteorites and are special because they are kind of like fossilized pieces of Earth. They are much older than anything here on Earth so they can tell us what Earth might have been like billions, yes billions, of years ago. The samples I’m after are a volcanic rock called basalt - just like what you’d find in Hawaii or Iceland. The more we know about the moon the more we know about Earth. Because samples from the moon are so rare, virtually every moon rock will have a unique geochemistry that is new to science."
What does this research look like in practice?
"Well, field trips to the Moon are expensive and time consuming, so most of our work happens in the lab. One of the first things we do is cut open the rock and make a thin slice of it so that we can view it with a microscope. This skill is so important in geology that we have a whole class, Mineralogy and Petrology, dedicated to it. So CSUB geology students get to play with Moon rocks as they learn an important skill. Every aspect of my research involves CSUB geology students and they get to travel to labs and present results at conferences. We do get out into the field to study Earth’s volcanoes because they can help us understand volcanoes on the Moon. Iceland, Hawaii, and even eastern California are great places for field work."
What real-world impacts could or does your research have?
"If we are to believe Elon Musk then space exploration is in humanity’s future. The more we know about the geology of the Moon the more we can leverage the Moon’s natural resources to propel us into space. Looking beyond natural resources, Moon rocks can tell us more about how and why volcanoes erupt both on the Moon and Earth."
Why does this subject interest you and why should other people be interested too?
"If humans are ever going to reach Mars, then we have to go back to the Moon first. The Moon is a perfect space to learn how to have a sustained presence on another planetary body. And if we’re going to be there awhile then we’ve got to learn how to use a planet’s natural resources to make rocket fuel, water, and breathable air. Every piece of Moon rock can help us learn how to utilize the Moon’s natural resources for future exploration.
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