Nathalie Cabrol is an astrobiologist from France who studied at University of Paris in Nanterre as part of the Sorbonne, where she received her Ph.D in the field that is now known as planetary geology. Cabrol's work lies at the intersection of astronomy, geology, and biology as she attempts to intertwine these fields into the field of astrobiology. Cabrol has led the way in exploring uncharted territories in the search for extraterrestrial life by finding the limits of life on Earth. By exploring the harshest conditions on Earth, Cabrol has studied the extreme conditions in which life can ultimately survive.
As part of her studies as a planetary geologist, Cabrol's research focused on Gusev Crater on Mars. Through her expertise on Gusev Crater, one of Cabrol's signature achievements was to argue before NASA to choose Gusev Crater as a possible landing site for the Mars Exploration Rovers. In 2004, Gusev Crater was successfully chosen as the landing site for the rover Spirit.
After leaving NASA, Cabrol became the Principal Investigator and the expedition leader in the High Lakes Project. The High Lakes Project is an undertaking by SETI to understand the impact of extreme environmental stress on lake habitats and the effects of climate change in these habitats. As part of the project, Cabrol studied organisms that are prone to living in harsh conditions, called extremophiles, and saw that these organisms were thriving in conditions such as volcanic thermal vents, high irradiance and ultraviolet exposure, and dramatic pH changes due to the variable environment. Cabrol's research showed that regardless of how extreme the environment was, life seems to have evolved to adapt to any and all conditions. This is a profound discovery as it pertains to the possibility of life existing in other parts of the solar system, and the Universe as a whole.
Cabrol's research as a planetary geologist who studied planetary formations on Mars that could have been potential lake beds, along with her research on extremophiles in the High Lakes Project, make her uniquely suited to find analogues of conditions in the Universe that are hospitable to life with their Earth counterparts. As a result, in 2015, Cabrol became the director of the Carl Sagan Center at SETI, an organization aimed to answer the fundamental questions of the origin of life, and the possibility of life in other parts of the Universe.
Sources:
http://www.seti.org/users/nathalie-cabrol
https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/reports/annual-reports/2008/seti/the-high-lakes-project-hlp/
http://www.seti.org/mos/nathalie-cabrol
What were her arguments for the importance of studying the Gusev Crater?
ReplyDeleteNowadays there are many research opportunities in astrobiology. If you like the ideas of aliens and a better understanding of our own biosphere, this is not a shabby career path!
5