astronomy

Joanna V. Clark

Joanna V. Clark is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Joanna V. Clark rather than just read about it. In short: Joanna V. Clark is a geoscientist working for the NASA Johnson Space Center, where she is a collaborator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Mars Science Lab (MSL) science teams.

Key takeaways

Joanna V. Clark belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reproduce the core statement of Joanna V. Clark from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Joanna V. Clark is a geoscientist working for the NASA Johnson Space Center, where she is a collaborator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Mars Science Lab (MSL) science teams. Her research includes conducting laboratory experiments to understand better ground and mineral samples acquired by the curiosity rover on Mars.

Education Clark has an undergraduate degree in geological sciences completed at The State University of New York at Geneseo in 2013, a master's degree in geological sciences from The University of Alabama completed in 2015, and a PhD in geological and earth sciences completed at The University of Houston in 2021.

PhD thesis In 2019, Clark was awarded a two-year, $285,000 NASA grant to support the work of her thesis in which she studied the effect of temperature on silica formation to understand previous climate conditions on Mars better. To determine whether the planet once contained life, paleoclimatologists study clues left behind in rocks or, in this case, the oxygen composition of silica. Clark's research focused on performing laboratory experiments to form silica at subzero temperatures, which was then used to determine if water had previously been present on the planet. According to her advisor, Tom Lapen, it is rare for a graduate student to receive such major funding as these programs are highly competitive, with top researchers across the U.S. submitting hundreds of proposals.

Career

Mars Science Lab (MSL) Joanna Clark became a full-time member of the Mars group at the NASA Johnson Space Center through the JETS II Contract, working under Jacobs Solutions Inc. It is within this group that one of their primary science objectives is to assess the habitability of ancient and modern martian environments by using the Curiosity rover through a series of instruments and technologies that include: SAM, CheMin, APXS, ChemCam, DAN, REMS, RAD, MastCam & MAHLI.

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Clark is a payload uplink lead for the Curiosity rover, in which she delivers commands to collect samples for the SAM instrument to analyze. From there, results are sent back to Earth for her team to further assess past habitability and gather data to use for future exploration projects such as one day sending humans to Mars. One of Clark's projects for NASA included using mineralogical and chemical data from Curiosity to determine whether the Martian soil found from Rocknest could be used with a water-extraction device. This was accomplished by utilizing the SAM instrument and determining which chemical compounds were included in the Martian soil. From there, the Johnson Space Center replicated a simulant called JSC-Rocknest to run a variety of experiments on, which included heating it to different temperatures to determine its water re-absorption rate and determining its ability to be broken down into compounds needed for liveable conditions. Their findings include a variety of hopeful results necessary to further develop any new advancements for exploring Mars. Since the study, large quantities of JSC-Rocknest have been produced to continue with large-scale applications such as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems and component testing, ISRU plant growth studies, and ISRU habitat studies.

Other NASA Involvement Clark is a laboratory lead at NASA's Mars, Moon, Meteorite Evolved Gas Analysis (M3EGA) laboratory. Their objective is to conduct thermal and evolved gas analyses of volatile-bearing minerals. These analyses are similar to the data collection that happen during planetary missions that determine whether certain minerals may be present and, if so, in which quantities. Clark is also a laboratory lead at the Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science (ARES) General Chemical Laboratory. The facility offers a range of equipment to serve the needs of ARES scientists in Research and Curation. Clark is on the leadership council of "Supporting Women at NASA," a networking group consisting of female scientists and engineers looking to share their passions for planetary sciences among themselves and the community.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Joanna V. Clark

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Joanna V. Clark claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Joanna V. Clark before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Joanna V. Clark ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Joanna V. Clark

In research: Joanna V. Clark appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Joanna V. Clark in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Joanna V. Clark is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 21st-century American women scientists, American geochemists, American women geologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Joanna V. Clark outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Joanna V. Clark in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Joanna V. Clark means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Joanna V. Clark out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Joanna V. Clark in simple terms?

Joanna V. Clark is a geoscientist working for the NASA Johnson Space Center, where she is a collaborator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) and Mars Science Lab (MSL) science teams.

Why does Joanna V. Clark matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Joanna V. Clark?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Joanna V. Clark.