HIGP Web Mail
• Web Mail login page Seminars
Wednesday, April 24, 2:00 p.m. in POST 544, John Moores (Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, York University) "A Volatile Tale of Two Atmospheres: From Martian Methane to Plutonian Penitentes" [HIGP Seminar]
Friday, April 26, 3:30 p.m. in POST 723, Peter Mouginis-Mark "What if There Are Abundant Granites on Venus?" [ES TGIF Seminar]
HIGP is a multi-disciplinary institute conducting advanced research, technology development, teaching, workforce training, and service in cutting-edge oceanographic, atmospheric, geophysical, geological, and planetary science and engineering. We are a part of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the Mānoa (Honolulu) campus of the University of Hawai‘i. Our Institute is home to approximately 100 faculty members, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students with access to state-of-the-art laboratories and instrumentation, research vessels, and far-ranging field sites. HIGP partners with the College of Engineering for satellite fabrication and launch through the Hawai‘i Space Flight Laboratory. Our expertise spans the globe from pole to pole, from the deep Earth interior to the upper atmosphere, and extends to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
April 5, 2019 Nominations Open for Denise B. Evans Fellowships in Oceanographic Research
By virtue of a very generous gift from the estate of Denise B. Evans, the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) has established the Denise B. Evans Fellowships in Oceanographic Research. These awards support outstanding SOEST graduate students in many different fields of oceanographic research. Deadline for receipt of nomination packages at the HIGP Office (POST 602) is 4:00p.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2019. For complete details, please visit the Denise B. Evans Fellowships in Oceanographic Research website.
April 5, 2019 Shiv Sharma Elected as Fellow of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy
The Society for Applied Spectroscopy, also known as SAS, has elected HIGP Researcher Shiv Sharma to the 2019 Class of Fellows. Dr. Sharma is a leading researcher in stand-off, remote-sensing spectroscopy for elemental and molecular analysis. He has been "at the forefront of the development of new technologies" for 40 years, said HIGP Interim Director Dr. Rob Wright. Dr. Sharma is currently on NASA's Mars 2020 Rover SuperCam instrument team, providing Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy expertise (see the 2018 HIGP News Item). SuperCam will provide imaging and chemical compositional analysis, and will be able to detect the presence of organic compounds in rocks on Mars, if any, from a distance. As a SAS Fellow, Dr. Sharma is recognized for his outstanding achievements in and contributions to the science, the profession, and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Less than 1% of the membership may be selected as Fellows per year. Congratulations!
19 March 2019 HIGP Connection: NASA Selects Teams to Study Untouched Moon Samples
NASA has announced its selection of nine teams to continue the science legacy of the Apollo missions by studying returned lunar samples that have been carefully stored and untouched for nearly 50 years. A total of $8 million has been awarded to the teams. One of the teams is led by David Blake (Principal Investigator) and Richard Wolroth (Science PI/Co-I) of NASA Ames Research Center and includes Co-Investigator Hope Ishii (HIGP Associate Researcher and Director of the Advanced Electron Microscopy Center (AEMC) at UHM, Co-Investigator Jeffrey Gillis-Davis (HIGP Associate Researcher), and Collaborator John Bradley (HIGP Researcher and AEMC Manager). The UH/HIGP contingent will be performing simulated space weathering in the laboratory for comparisons with the lunar environment and electron energy loss spectroscopy on lunar simulants and on Apollo lunar samples. For more information see the NASA News item and the SOEST News item.
March 12, 2019 New Mineral, Edscottite, Named After UH Emeritus Researcher
The first natural occurrence of the iron carbide Fe5C2 has been found in the Wedderburn iron meteorite and the discovery team has named the new mineral edscottite, as reported in issue 31 of the European Journal of Mineralogy. Approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature, and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association, the name honors Edward R. D. Scott, HIGP Emeritus Professor, known for his achievements in meteoritics, especially for studies of iron meteorites. The mineral discovery was led by Chi Ma of CalTech and Alan Rubin of the University of California at Los Angeles.
March 2019
HIGP Alumni News: We are pleased to share the news that Dr. Julie Stopar (M.S. 2007), a staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, TX, has been named the Director of the Regional Planetary Image Facility at the LPI. Stopar studies the formation and evolution of lunar impact craters, volume-limited volcanism, and regolith at the meter-scale and is part of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera team; highlighted in this LPI video.
February 2019 Emeritus Faculty
The University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents and UH President/UH Mānoa Interim Chancellor have named Dr. G. Jeffrey Taylor an Emeritus Professor in HIGP. Dr. Taylor began his research and teaching career at HIGP in 1990, moving here from the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico. Among his accomplishments are the publication of over 200 reviewed research papers, conference proceedings, and books. He is also the recipient of the 2008 Carl Sagan Medal awarded by the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society–for excellence in public communication of planetary science and the 2011 Shoemaker Distinguished Lunar Scientist Award, presented by the NASA Lunar Science Institute–in recognition of his significant scientific contributions and leadership roles. Congratulations Emeritus Professor Taylor, and we wish you continued success in your publication of Planetary Science Research Discoveries (PSRD) and all your research and writing endeavors.
January 11, 2019 HIGP Job Opportunities: Lunar and Planetary Sample Return and Exploration for Space Resources
HIGP seeks to hire two tenure-track, full-time, permanent positions. One appointment will be made at the Assistant Researcher level, the other at the Associate Researcher level. 75% State funds provided. Position 0082103: Lunar and Planetary Sample Return: we are looking for individuals with interests and skills to take advantage of the anticipated return of new samples from the Moon, Mars, asteroids, comets, and other objects. Position 0088583: Exploration for Space Resources: we invite candidates who can identify and aid in the assessment of resources beyond the Earth using remote sensing, analysis of in situ data, or planetary analogs. We seek individuals with strong interests in participating in, or leading, space missions beyond low-Earth orbit relevant to the areas sought. Filling this position is subject to position clearance. Application reviews begin April 15, 2019. For full details of the duties, minimum and desirable qualifications, and how to apply please search for the relevant position numbers (0082103; 0088583) at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu.
The University of Hawai‘i is an EEO/AA Institution.
January 7, 2019
Spring 2019 Course Offerings with HIGP
Welcome to the first day of the Spring 2019 semester. HIGP faculty are teaching these courses:
Voyage Through the Solar System, GG105, with Peter Englert
Find out what else is happening through the SOEST News and Press Releases.
HIGP Mission Statement
HIGP solves fundamental problems in Earth and Planetary Science by the development and application of state-of-the-art exploration, measurement, and data analysis technologies. HIGP serves society and the State of Hawai‘i by acquiring and disseminating new knowledge about the Earth and other planetary bodies, and developing and introducing leading edge technologies and a highly trained workforce to the State economy.
Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
University of Hawai‘i
1680 East-West Road,
Pacific Ocean Science & Technology (POST) Building, Room 602
Honolulu, HI 96822
Office Phone: 808.956.8760
Fax: 808.956.3188 Dr. Robert Wright, Interim Director
Visit us: On smartphone or GPS, you can type the following latitude, longitude into Google maps: 21.2975, -157.8161.
This site is in compliance with U. S. Section 508 accessibility standards WCAG 2.0. If you encounter any accessibility problem in the HIGP website please contact us with a description of the problem and we will make every effort to solve it.
Top banner images: HIGP excels in advanced research, teaching, and service. Our expertise spans the globe from pole to pole, from the depths of the seas to the tops of volcanoes, and extends to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. These images show, from left to right: satellite communication dish, a map of tsunami wave heights, map of mid-ocean ridge/seafloor spreading, the IMI (Imaging and Mapping Instrument) deep-towed ocean sonar system, Earth's Moon, active Hawaiian lava flow, Mars, a meteorite collected in Antarctica, and GPS field station.
