Nathalie
A. Cabrol
 My
name is Nathalie A. Cabrol. I am a planetary geologist
specialized in the study of Mars and its ancient lakes
as possible habitats for life. I work at NASA Ames Research
Center (NASA ARC) and SETI Institute Center for the
Search for Life in the Universe (LITU) in the Bay area
in California. I arrived there 10 years ago from France
with my husband and we turned our dreams of exploration
into reality, from terrestrial extreme environments
to the planet Mars!
For my research I interpret remote sensing
data from the Mars missions; develop science exploration
strategies for rover field experiments in terrestrial
analogs to Mars in preparation for future missions;
explore some of the highest lakes in the world to understand
the limits of life on Earth and the potential for life
in ancient Mars. This allows me to use my other passions
in life: mountaineering and free diving (which means
diving underwater without oxygen tanks). At 6,014 m
(nearly 20,000 ft) where the atmosphere is already 48%
thinner than at sea level, this is an interesting challenge
but in the process, we collect extremely valuable data
that could one day be useful to improve people's health.
Finally, one of favorite activities is to share the
excitement of exploration and discovery. This takes
me on the road often to speak about Mars and Earth to
kids, students, and the general public.
I am honored to be a member of the science
team of the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers mission, still
exploring Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum with Spirit
and Opportunity. The mission started in January 2004
and has been a life changing event not only for me and
all of those who directly participate in the mission
but also for those who realized through the images and
data posted on the web that ancient Mars was very similar
to Earth. The MER mission is writing an exquisite page
of exploration. Working on Licancabur is for me a way
to bridge time between Gusev and Meridiani, now dry,
and extreme terrestrial lakes which are so similar to
what those two sites on Mars could have been 3.5 billion
years ago.
As the expedition leader, the safety
of my crew is what comes first. Everything comes after.
We all know and respect the environment we will leave
and work in for nearly one month. We are all well-prepared
and ready for the exploration ahead, and we are all
looking after each other. You can read each team member's
bio by clicking on "Team Members" on the homepage.
They are all extraordinary people and I find myself
extremely fortunate to be with them.
For those who want to see an expanded
version of this bio and learn my background and how
I became a planetary scientist, they can click here:
http://extremeenvironment.com/2003/team/ncabrol.htm
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