Prof Caroline Smith

Prof Caroline Smith

Head of Collections

Department: Earth Sciences
Division: ES Collections
Specialisms: Geochemistry, Media, Meteorites, Microscopy, Mineralogy, Public outreach

Summary

I am Head of Earth Sciences Collections and Principal Curator of Meteorites at the Natural History Museum and I have been researching meteorites since the late 1990s. My experience and expertise in curation and collections care has been recognised by the award of a prestigious Aurora Fellowship from the UK Space Agency and consultancy work with industrial, academic and international space agency partners studying and planning for future Solar System sample return missions.

In 2011 I was selected as one of seven European scientists invited to participate in the ESA/NASA Joint Science Working Group planning for a proposed Mars exploration mission, where I provided input and advice related to sample curation and containment during collection, caching and on return to Earth. This work has continued and I have also been invited to participate in expert meetings on organic contamination by the US National Academy of Science.

In 2014 I was chosen to be the UK representative for iMARS Phase 2 and was selected to be the Co-Chair of the Science Team. Between 2014 and 2018 I led a team of Museum Researchers and Curators working with the European Space Agency to develop a collection of different rocks and minerals that are analogues of the surfaces of Mars, Phobos, Deimos, Asteroids and the Moon and that can be used by engineers and scientists to develop technologies for robotic exploration missions (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/our-work/origins-evolution-and-futures/esa-exploration-sample-analogue-collection-curation-facility.html). I was also the Co-PI of the European Commission Horizon2020 project EURO-CARES, which has developed a roadmap for a future European Sample Curation Facility to curate samples returned from sample return missions (http://www.euro-cares.eu/home.html). I have recently worked on the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return Science Planning Group 2 (MSPG-2) (https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0121) and co-chaired the Curation working group.

I am a member of ESA's Human Spaceflight and Exploration Science Advisory Committee (HESAC) – the senior advisory body to ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration on all matters concerning scientific exploitation of human spaceflight, microgravity and exploration programmes; Chair of the UK Space Agency's Space Exploration Advisory Committee and member of UKSA's Science Programme Advisory Committee.

I have studied a wide range of different meteorite types and my research interests are planetary differentiation and extraterrestrial and terrestrial alteration processes. I regularly use a number of analytical techniques for studying precious meteoritic materials including electron and ion-beam instrumentation for sample preparation and analyses, mass spectrometry and CT-scanning.

In summer 2018 I was greatly honoured to have asteroid (7635) Carolinesmith named after me.

Qualifications

Degrees

  • PhD, The Open University, United Kingdom, 1998 - 2002
  • BSc (Hons) Geology, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom, 1994 - 1998

Employment history

Academic

  • Honorary Professor, University of Glasgow, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, United Kingdom, 2019 - ongoing
  • Honorary Research Fellow, University of Glasgow, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, United Kingdom, 2012 - ongoing

Highlighted publications

  • (2020) Assessment of the Report of NASA's Planetary Protection Independent Review Board. National Academies Pressdoi: 10.17226/25773
  • Beaty DW, Grady MM, McSween HY, Sefton‐Nash E, Carrier BL, Altieri F, Amelin Y, Ammannito E, Anand M, Benning LG, Bishop JL, Borg LE, Boucher D, Brucato JR, Busemann H, Campbell KA, Czaja AD, Debaille V, Des Marais DJ, Dixon M, Ehlmann BL, Farmer JD, Fernandez‐Remolar DC, Filiberto J, Fogarty J, Glavin DP, Goreva YS, Hallis LJ, Harrington AD, Hausrath EM, Herd CDK, Horgan B, Humayun M, Kleine T, Kleinhenz J, Mackelprang R, Mangold N, Mayhew LE, McCoy JT, McCubbin FM, McLennan SM, Moser DE, Moynier F, Mustard JF, Niles PB, Ori GG, Raulin F, Rettberg P, Rucker MA, Schmitz N, Schwenzer SP, Sephton MA, Shaheen R, Sharp ZD, Shuster DL, Siljeström S, Smith CL, Spry JA, Steele A, Swindle TD, Ten Kate IL, Tosca NJ, Usui T, Van Kranendonk MJ, Wadhwa M, Weiss BP, Werner SC, Westall F, Wheeler RM, Zipfel J, Zorzano MP (2019) The potential science and engineering value of samples delivered to Earth by Mars sample return. Wileydoi: 10.1111/maps.13242
  • Cassata WS, Cohen BE, Mark DF, Trappitsch R, Crow CA, Wimpenny J, Lee MR, Smith CL (2018) Chronology of martian breccia NWA 7034 and the formation of the martian crustal dichotomy. Science Advances, (5) American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aap8306
  • Haltigin T, Lange C, Mugnuolo R, Smith C, Haltigin T, Lange C, Mugnolo R, Smith C, Amundsen H, Bousquet P, Conley C, Debus A, Dias J, Falkner P, Gass V, Harri A-M, Hauber E, Ivanov AB, Ivanov AO, Kminek G, Korablev O, Koschny D, Larranaga J, Marty B, McLennan S, Meyer M, Nilsen E, Orleanski P, Orosei R, Rebuffat D, Safa F, Schmitz N, Siljeström S, Thomas N, Vago J, Vandaele A-C, Voirin T, Whetsel C (2018) Astrobiology, (S1) Mary Ann Liebert Incdoi: 10.1089/ast.2018.29027.mars
  • Lee MR, Tomkinson T, Mark DF, Smith CL (2016) Carbon sequestration on Mars: COMMENT. Geology, (6) Geological Society of America : e388 - e388. doi: 10.1130/g37617c.1
  • Downes H, Abernethy FAJ, Smith CL, Ross AJ, Verchovsky AB, Grady MM, Jenniskens P, Shaddad MH (2015) Isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen in ureilitic fragments of the Almahata Sitta meteorite. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, (2) Wiley : 255 - 272. doi: 10.1111/maps.12413
  • Kminek G, Conley C, Allen CC, Bartlett DH, Beaty DW, Benning LG, Bhartia R, Boston PJ, Duchaine C, Farmer JD, Flynn GJ, Glavin DP, Gorby Y, Hallsworth JE, Mogul R, Moser D, Buford Price P, Pukall R, Fernandez-Remolar D, Smith CL, Stedman K, Steele A, Stepanauskas R, Sun H, Vago JL, Voytek MA, Weiss PS, Westall F (2014) Report of the workshop for life detection in samples from Mars. Life Sciences in Space Research, Elsevier BV : 1 - 5. doi: 10.1016/j.lssr.2014.05.001
  • Lee MR, Tomkinson T, Mark DF, Stuart FM, Smith CL (2013) Evidence for silicate dissolution on Mars from the Nakhla meteorite. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, (2) Wiley : 224 - 240. doi: 10.1111/maps.12053
  • Aoudjehane HC, Avice G, Barrat J-A, Boudouma O, Chen G, Duke MJM, Franchi IA, Gattacceca J, Grady MM, Greenwood RC, Herd CDK, Hewins R, Jambon A, Marty B, Rochette P, Smith CL, Sautter V, Verchovsky A, Weber P, Zanda B (2012) Tissint Martian Meteorite: A Fresh Look at the Interior, Surface, and Atmosphere of Mars. Science, (6108) American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) : 785 - 788. doi: 10.1126/science.1224514
  • Lee MR, Smith CL (2006) Scanning transmission electron microscopy using a SEM: Applications to mineralogy and petrology. Mineralogical Magazine, (5) Mineralogical Society : 579 - 590. doi: 10.1180/0026461067050351
  • Cohen BE, Mark DF, Cassata WS, Lee MR, Tomkinson T, Smith CL Taking the pulse of Mars via dating of a plume-fed volcano. Nature Communications, (1) Springer Science and Business Media LLCdoi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00513-8
  • Tomkinson T, Lee MR, Mark DF, Smith CL Sequestration of Martian CO2 by mineral carbonation. Nature Communications, (1) Springer Science and Business Media LLCdoi: 10.1038/ncomms3662

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