Goddard Space Flight Center
Planetary Systems Laboratory

Planetary Systems Laboratory


Picture of Michael Smith

Michael Smith

Planetary Systems Laboratory
NASA/GSFC, Code 693.0
Greenbelt, MD 20771

Phone: (301) 286-7495

Email: Michael Smith


Current Position


    Astrophysicist, Planetary Systems Laboratory

Education


1994 Ph.D., Astronomy, Cornell University. Thesis title: Winds, Waves, Radiation,and Convection in Planetary Atmospheres. Adviser: Dr. Peter Gierasch
1991 M.S., Astronomy, Cornell University
1988 B.S. with honor, Physics, California Institute of Technology

Professional Socities


1998- American Geophysical Union
1994- Division for Planetary Sciences
1994- American Astronomical Society

Service


2003 Group Chair, Atmospheric Science, NASA Mars Fundamental Research Program review panel
2003 GSFC Scientific Colloquium committee member
2002 Panel Member for NASA Mars Fundamental Research Program
1999 Co-Organizer of the GSFC Code 691/693 Planetary Science Seminar Series
1999 Panel Member for Soil and Dust Panel of 2003/2005 Lander HEDS Program
1997 Panel Member for NASA Planetary Atmospheres Program
1994-2005 Refereed over a dozen papers for The Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Icarus, Journal of Geophysical Research, and Planetary Space Sciences
1997-2005 External Reviewer dozens of times for proposals to NASA's Planetary Astronomy, Planetary Atmospheres, Jupiter Data Analysis Program and Mars Data Analysis Program

Fellowships and Awards


  • 2004 Group Achievement Award, MER Science Operations Team
  • 2004 NASA Incentive Award for performance
  • 2003 NASA Incentive Award for performance
  • 2002 NASA Special Act Award for analysis of TES observations of Mars planet-encircling dust storm 2001a
  • 2001 NASA Incentive Award for performance
  • 2000 NASA Incentive Award for performance
  • 2000 NASA Group Achievement Award, MGS TES Team
  • 1999 NASA Group Achievement Award, Mars Global Surveyor Solar Array Anomaly Recovery and Aerobraking Team
  • 1995-98 National Research Council (NRC) Resident Research Associateship
  • 1994 Eleanor Norton York Prize in Astronomy, Cornell University
  • 1991-94 NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program Fellowship
  • 1990-91 Z. Cartter Patten Fellowship, Cornell University
  • 1988-89 Sage Graduate Fellowship, Cornell University


  • Invited Talks


  • 2004 COSPAR Conference, Paris, France
  • 2003 International workshop: Mars Atmosphere Modeling and Observations, Granada, Spain (2 invited talks)
  • 2001 American Geophysical Society (AGU) Fall Meeting
  • 2001 European Geophysical Society (EGS) General Assembly, Nice, France
  • 2001 Exploring Mars with TES: A Data User.s Workshop, Tempe, AZ
  • 2000 Mars Express Planetary Fourier Spectrometer Team Meeting
  • 1999 California Inst. of Technology, Planetary Science Colloquium Series
  • 1999 University of Washington, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Radiation and Remote Sensing Colloquium Series
  • 1999 University of Washington, Astrobiology Program Seminar Series
  • 1998 The Catholic Univ. of America, Physics Dept. Fall Colloquium Series
  • 1998 The Catholic Univ. of America, Physics Dept. Spring Colloquium Series
  • 1998 Fall Meeting of the Washington Area Astronomers
  • 1996 Washington University in St. Louis, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences colloquium
  • Plus, a number of talks for local groups such as the GSFC and Greenbelt Astronomy Clubs and the Code 691/693 Planetary Science Seminar Series

    Professional Experience


      APPOINTMENTS:Astrophysicist, Planetary Systems Branch, Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Assistant Research Professor, The Catholic University of America, National Research Council (NRC) Resident Research Associate, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, working with Drs. John Pearl and Barney Conrath, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cornell University, working with Dr. Peter Gierasch, Research Assistant in Astronomy, Cornell University, working with Dr. Peter Gierasch, Teaching Assistant in Astronomy, Cornell University, Undergraduate Research Assistant, California Institute of Technology, working with Dr. Andy Ingersoll.

      Selected Publications


      2005  "Bright-Region Radiative Properties within the Mars South Polar Cap (Ls=231) from Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging", D.A. Glenar, G. Hansen, G. Bjoraker, M.D. Smith, J.C. Pearl, D. Blaney, Icarus,174, 600-603.

      2005  "Surface and Near-surface Atmospheric Temperatures for the Mars Exploration Rover Landing Sites", N. Spanovich, M.D. Smith, P.H. Smith, M.J. Wolff, P.R. Christensen, and S.W. Squyres, Icarus, in press.

      2004  "Interannual Variability in TES Atmospheric Observations of Mars During 1999-2003". M.D. Smith. Icarus, 167, 148-165.

      2004  "Identification of the 10-μm Ammonia Ice Feature at Jupiter", M.H. Wong, G.L. Bjoraker, M.D. Smith, F.M. Flasar, and C.A. Nixon. Planetary and Space Science, 52, 385-395.

      2004  "An Intense Stratospheric Jet on Jupiter", F.M. Flasar and 40 co-authors including M.D. Smith. Nature, 427, 132-135.

      2004  "Atmospheric Correction and Surface Spectral Unit Mapping using Thermal Emission Imaging System Data", J.L. Bandfield, D. Rogers, M.D. Smith, P.R. Christensen, J. Geophys. Res., 109, doi:10.1029/2004JE002289.

      2004  "Traveling Waves in the Martian Atmosphere from MGS TES Nadir Data", D. Banfield, B.J. Conrath, P.J. Gierasch, R.J. Wilson, M.D. Smith, Icarus, 170, 365-403.

      2004  "Jupiter's Atmospheric Composition from the Cassini Thermal Infrared Spectroscopy Experiment". V.G. Kunde and 41 co-authors including M.D. Smith, Science, 305, 1582-1587.

      2004  "Exploring the Saturn System in the Thermal Infrared: The Composite Infrared Spectrometer", F.M. Flasar and 44 co-authors including M.D. Smith, Space Sci. Reviews, 115, 169-297.

      2004  "The Spirit Rover's Athena Science Investigation at Gusev Crater, Mars", S.W. Squyres and 49 co-authors including M.D. Smith, Science. 305, 794-799.

      2004  "Initial Results from the Mini-TES Experiment in Gusev Crater from the Spirit Rover", P.R. Christensen and 24 co-authors including M.D. Smith, Science, 305, 837-842.

      2004  "The Opportunity Rover's Athena Science Investigation at Meridiani Planum, Mars", S.W. Squyres and 49 co-authors including M.D. Smith, Science, 306, 1698-1703.

      2004  "Mineralogy at Meridiani Planum from the Mini-TES Experiment on the Opportunity Rover", P.R. Christensen and 26 co-authors including M.D. Smith, Science, 306, 1733-1739.

      2004  "First Atmospheric Science Results from the Mars Exploration Rovers Mini-TES", M.D. Smith and 12 co-authors, Science, 306, 1750-1753.

      2004  "Atmospheric Imaging Results from the Mars Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity", M.T. Lemmon and 14 co-authors including M.D. Smith, Science, 306, 1753-1756.

      2004  "Comparison of Atmospheric Temperatures Obtained through Infrared Sounding and Radio Occultation by Mars Global Surveyor", D.P. Hinson, M.D. Smith, and B.J. Conrath, J. Geophys. Res., 109, E12002, doi:10.1029/2004JE002344.

      2003"Multiple emission angle surface-atmosphere separations of Thermal Emission Spectrometer data", J.L. Bandfield, and M.D. Smith. Icarus 161, 47-65.

      2003"Forced waves in the Martian atmosphere from MGS TES nadir data". D. Banfield, B.J. Conrath, M.D. Smith, P.R. Christensen, and R.J. Wilson. Icarus 161, 319-345.

      2003"Stationary Planetary Waves in the Atmosphere of Mars During Southern Winter". D.P. Hinson, R.J. Wilson, M.D. Smith, and B.J. Conrath. J. Geophys. Res. 108 (E1), doi: 10.1029/2002JE001949.

      2003"Morphology and Composition of the Surface of Mars: Mars Odyssey THEMIS Results". P.R. Christensen and the THEMIS team (including M.D. Smith). Science, 300, 2056-2061.

      2003"Surface Temperature of Martian Regolith with Polygonal Features: Influence of the Subsurface Water Ice", K.J. Kossacki, W.J. Markiewicz, and M.D. Smith, Planet. Space Sci., 50, 569-580.

      2003"THEMIS Infrared Observations of Atmospheric Dust and Water Ice Cloud Optical Depth". M.D. Smith, J.L. Bandfield, P.R. Christensen, and M.I. Richardson. J. Geophys. Res., 108 (E11), doi: 10.1029/2003JE002115.

      2003"Discovery of Olivine in the Nili Fossae Region of Mars". T.M. Hoefen, R.N. Clark, J.L. Bandfield, M.D. Smith, J.C. Pearl, and P.R. Christensen. Science, 302, 627-630.