Research Interests

Planetary Sciences

Research summary:   

Dr. Jolliff’s research focus includes the petrologic and geochemical study of element distribution in rocks and minerals as recorders of igneous processes and petrogenetic history, with particular emphasis on lunar samples, martian materials, and terrestrial analogs. Jolliff uses the crystal chemistry and trace-element geochemistry of silicate and accessory minerals in igneous systems to understand their petrogenesis, including igneous, metamorphic, and impact processes on terrestrial planets and their evolution through time. He is also involved in remote sensing and automated in-situ determination of surface mineralogy of the Moon, Mars, and other bodies. Through involvement with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera team, he investigates the surface of the Moon, relating what can be seen from orbit to what is known about the Moon through the study of Apollo and lunar meteorite samples. Through his involvement with the Mars Exploration Rovers, he investigates the mineralogy and composition of the martian surface, and alteration processes and geologic history of Mars. These investigations include a component of laboratory study to understand the compositional and phase relationships, and formation conditions among planetary materials.

 Narrative Bio:

 Dr. Jolliff  is a professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences.   His teaching and research focus is on the Moon and Mars, the materials that make up their surfaces and interiors, and what they tell about the planet's history.  Jolliff is a member of the Mars Exploration Rovers operations team and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera science team. He was the principal investigator of the "MoonRise" New Frontiers mission proposal, which competed though a Phase A concept study as one of three finalists for NASA's medium-class planetary exploration mission program.

Jolliff served as a member of the Inner Planets Panel, National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey for Solar System Exploration, 2001-2002, on the Lunar & Planetary Institute Science Council for USRA, 2003 to 2005, and on the Science Committee of the NASA Advisory Council from 2006 to 2009.  He currently serves on the Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials (CAPTEM), and he led the CAPTEM Lunar Science Initiative “New Views of the Moon.” Jolliff received a Bachelors degree in Science from Furman University in 1977 and a Ph. D. in Geology from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in 1987 after serving on active duty in the US Army from 1977 to 1982.

Courses

• EPSc 400: Special Topics: Planetary Crusts (Fall 2012)
• EPSc 106: Freshman Seminar: Exploring Planets: Current Missions (Spring 2013)
• EPSc 568: Scientific Exploration of the Moon (Spring 2013)
• EPSc 567: Planetary Materials (Fall 2013)

Publications

Liu D., Jolliff B. L., Zeigler R. A., Korotev R. L., Wan Y., Xie H., Zhang Y., Dong C., and Wang W. (2012) Comparative zircon U-Pb geochronology of impact melt breccias from Apollo 12 and lunar meteorite SaU 169, and the age of the Imbrium impact. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 319-320, 277–286..

Glotch T. D., Hagerty J. J., Lucey P. G., Hawke B. R., Giguere T. A., Arnold J. A., Williams J., Jolliff B. L., and Paige D. A. (2011) The Mairan domes: Silicic volcanic constructs on the Moon. Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L21204, doi:10.1029/2011GL049548.

Jolliff B. L., Wiseman S. A., Lawrence S. J., Tran T. N., Robinson  M. S., Sato H., Hawke B. R., Scholten F., Oberst J., Hiesinger H., van der Bogert C. H., Greenhagen B. T., Glotch T. D., and Paige D. A. (2011) Non-mare silicic volcanism on the lunar farside at Compton–Belkovich. Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo1212.

Korotev R. L., Jolliff B. L., Zeigler R. A., Seddio S. M, and Haskin L. A. (2011) Apollo 12 revisited. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 75, 1540–1573.

Chemtob, S. M., B. L. Jolliff, G. R. Rossman, J. M. Eiler, and R. E. Arvidson (2009) Silica coatings in the Ka'u Desert, Hawaii, a Mars analog terrain: a micromorphological, spectral, chemical and isotopic study, Journal of Geophysical Research, 115, E04001, doi: 10.1029/2009JE003473.

Seelos, K. D., R. E. Arvidson, B. L. Jolliff, S. Chemtob, R. V. Morris, D. Ming, and G. A. Swayze (2009) Silica in a Mars analog environment: Ka'u Desert, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, Journal of Geophysical Research, 115, E00D15, doi:  10.1029/2009JE003347.

Robinson, M. S., S. M. Brylow, M. Tschimmel, D. Humm, S. J. Lawrence, P. C. Thomas, B. W. Denevi, E. Bowman-Cisneros, J. Zerr, M. A. Ravine, M. A. Caplinger, F. T. Ghaemi, J. A. Schaffner, M. C. Malin, P. Mahanti, A. Bartels, J. Anderson, T. N. Tran, E. M. Eliason, A. S. McEwen, E. Turtle, B. L. Jolliff, and H. Hiesinger (2010) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Instrument Overview, Space Science Reviews, 150 (1-4), 81-124, doi: 10.1007/s11214-010-9634-2.

Squyres, S. W., A. H. Knoll, R. E. Arvidson, J. W. Ashley, J. F. Bell, III, W. M. Calvin, P. R. Christensen, B. C. Clark, B. A. Cohen, P. A. de Souza, Jr., L. Edgar, W. H. Farrand, I. Fleischer, R. Gellert, M. P. Golombek, J. Grant, J. Grotzinger, A. Hayes, K. E. Herkenhoff, J. R. Johnson, B. Jolliff, G. Klingelhöfer, A. Knudson, R. Li, T. J. McCoy, S. M. McLennan, D. W. Ming, D. W. Mittlefehldt, R. V. Morris, J. W. Rice, Jr., C. Schröder, R. J. Sullivan, A. Yen, and R. A. Yingst (2009) Exploration of Victoria Crater by the Mars Rover Opportunity, Science, 324: 1058-1061, doi: 10.1126/science.1170355.

Korotev R. L, Zeigler R. A., Jolliff B. L., Irving A. J., and Bunch T. E. (2009) Compositional and lithological diversity among brecciated lunar meteorites of intermediate iron composition. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 44, 1287–1322.

Wang, A., J. J. Freeman, and B. L. Jolliff (2009) Phase transition pathways of the hydrates of magnesium sulfate in the temperature range 50°C to 5°C: Implication for sulfates on Mars, Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, E04010, doi:10.1029/2008JE003266.

Freeman, J. J., A. Wang, K. E. Kuebler, B. L. Jolliff, and L. A. Haskin (2008) Characterization of natural feldspars by Raman spectroscopy for future planetary exploration. Canadian Mineralogist, 46 (6), 1477-1500.

Complete Publications List