Professor
Kenneth A. Farley
California Institute of Technology
Isotope geochemist; Educator
Area
Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Specialty
Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Earth Sciences
Elected
2014
Leading isotope geochemist. Developed now widely adopted and copied technical innovations in measuring and applying rare gas geochemistry to major and diverse problems in the earth and planetary sciences including the chemical evolution of the earth’s mantle and atmosphere using He and Ne isotopic ratios, the growth and erosion of mountain ranges by U-Th-4He thermochronology, landscape evolution on length scales from kilometers (using a novel 4He/3He method) to meters (using cosmogenic 3He), and using 3He to measure sediment accumulation rates and the flux of interplanetary dust to earth over geologic time scales. Also contributed novel techniques for determining the ages of rocks on the surface of Mars as part of the current Mars Science Laboratory (“Curiosity”) rover mission and developed a flight instrument for K-Ar dating of Martian rocks on future missions. Recently appointed the project scientist for the next rover mission to Mars, currently scheduled for 2020.
Last Updated