David Blake

Branch: Exobiology Branch (STX)

Email: David.F.Blake@nasa.gov

Phone: (650) 604-4816

Read David Blake‘s Interview

Professional Biography

Officer, Unrestricted Line, and Diver, US Navy (USS Conserver, ARS-39 1973-77)   35 year involvement with Planetary Instrument Development and Exobiology/Astrobiology  research.  Inventor, developer and former PI of the CheMin XRD instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory Mission.  Currently funded research: 1).  “CheMin:  An XRD/XRF Instrument in the Analytical Laboratory of MSL” (Co-I, MSL mission).  (2). “Mapping X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (MapX)” (PI, NASA/MatISSE Program).  (3).  “XTRA:  An eXtraTerrestrial Rgolith Analyzer for Lunar Soil” (PI, NASA/DALI Program).  (4).  “Astrobiology Habitable Environments Database” (Co-I, NASA/SERA program). (5).  “Micro-Sampling System for Mineralogical Instruments (Co-I, NASA/PICASSO Program).

Education

Ph.D.    1984, Mineralogy, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

M.S.      1980, Geological Sciences, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

B.S.      1973, Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Research Interests

Planetary mineralogy, Exobiology, Habitable Environments, X-ray Diffraction, X-ray Fluorescence, spacecraft instrument development.

Select Publications

Bristow, TF, J P Grotzinger, E B Rampe, J Cuadros, S J Chipera, G W Downs, C M Fedo, J Frydenvang, A C McAdam, R V Morris, C N Achilles, D F Blake and 21 others (2021).  “Brine-driven destruction of clay minerals in Gale crater, Mars.”   Science, 373(6551), doi: 101126/scienceabg5449, 2021.

Tu, VM, EB Rampe, TF Bristow, MT Thorpe, JV Clark, N Castle, AA Fraeman, LA Edgar, A McAdam, C Bedford, CN Achilles, D Blake and 21 others (2021).   “A Review of the Phyllosilicates in Gale Crater as Detected by the CheMin Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover.”   Minerals, 11(8), doi: 103390/min11080847 2021

Blake, D., Walroth, R., Bristow, T., Sarrazin, P., Gailhanou, M., Downs, R., & Thompson, K. (2021). MapX: An In-situ X-ray µ-Mapper for Habitability and Biosignature Studies. Bulletin of the AAS, 53(4). https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.d0806478 

Blake, D., Bristow, T., Sarrazin, P., & Zacny, K. (2021). In-Situ Mineralogical Analysis of the Venus Surface using X-ray Diffraction. Bulletin of the AAS, 53(4). https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.d39aed4c 

Blake, D., Zacny, K., Bristow, T., Morrison, S., Sarrazin, P., Rampe, E., … Dehouck, E. (2021). MER-Class Rover Investigations of Mars in the Coming Decades. Bulletin of the AAS, 53(4). https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.a7226c13 

Blake, D., Hazen, R. M., Morrison, S. M., Bristow, T. S., Sarrazin, P., Zacny, K., … Thorpe, M. T. (2021). In-Situ Crystallographic Investigations of Solar Systems in the next Decade. Bulletin of the AAS, 53(4). https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.c5efb6c2 

Bristow, T., Lafuente, B., Stone, N., Parenteau, M., Wolfe, S. R., Rojo, S. P., D.F. Blake… Fonda, M. (2021). A Strategy for Managing NASA’s Long Tail of Planetary Research Data. Bulletin of the AAS, 53(4).  https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.1f261f2d 

Rampe, E., Blake, D., Sarrazin, P., Bristow, T., Gailhanou, M., Lafuente, B., Downs, R. (2021). “CheMinX: A Next Generation XRD/XRF for Quantitative Mineralogy and Geochemistry on Mars. Bulletin of the AAS, https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.a4a55445 

Sarrazin, P., Obbard, R., Vo, N., Zacny, K., Hinman, N., Lafuente, B., Bishop, J., Chen, J., Blake, D., Bristow, T., Eckley, S. (2021). In situ microCT for planetary exploration. Bulletin of the AAS, 53(4). https://doi.org/10.3847/25c2cfeb.9d6a5500 

Bristow, Thomas F., David F. Blake, Arek Derkowski and Patrick DeDecker (2020).  “A comparative study of clay mineral authigenesis in terrestrial and Martian lakes.”  American Journal of Science September 2021, 321 (7) 1080-1110; doi: https://doi.org/10.2475/07.2021.03

Rampe, E.B., D. F. Blake, and 30 others (2020).  “Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rocks and Eolian Sediments in Gale Crater, Mars: A Review after Six Earth Years of Exploration with Curiosity.”  Geochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2020.125605 . 

Taylor, G. Jeffrey, Linda M.V. Martel, Paul G. Lucey, Jeffrey J. Gillis-Davis, David F. Blake and Philippe Sarrazin (2019).  “Modal analysis of lunar soils by quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis.”  Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Vol. 266 pp. 17-28, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.07.046.

Vaniman, D.T., G.M. Martínez, E.B. Rampe, T.F. Bristow, D.F. Blake, and 16 others (2018).   “Gypsum, bassanite, and anhydrite at Gale crater, Mars.” Am. Mineralogist Vol. 103, pp. 1011-1020, DOI: http://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6346

Morrison, S.M., R.T. Downs, D.F. Blake, and 15 others (2018).  “Crystal chemistry of martian minerals from Bradbury Landing through Naukluft Plateau,Gale crater, Mars,” American Mineralogist. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2138/am-2018-6124 .

Bristow, T.F., E. B. Rampe, C. N. Achilles, D. F. Blake, and 22 others (2018).   “Clay Mineral Diversity and Abundance in Sedimentary Rocks of Gale Crater, Mars.” Science Advances, Sci. Adv. 2018;4: eaar3330

Yen, A.S., D.W. Ming, D.T. Vaniman, R. Gellert, D.F. Blake, and 14 others (2017). “Multiple stages of aqueous alteration along fractures in mudstone and sandstone strata in Gale Crater, Mars.” Earth and Planetary Science Letters 471, 186-198.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.04.033 .                      

Bristow, T.F., Robert M. Haberle, David F. Blake, and 13 others (2017).  “Low Hesperian P_CO2 from in situ mineralogical analysis at Gale crater, Mars.”   PNAS 114 No. 9, pp. 2166-2170. 

Morris, R.V., David T. Vaniman, David F. Blake and 22 others (2016). “Silicic volcanism on Mars evidenced by tridymite in high-SiO2 sedimentary rock at Gale crater.”  PNAS: doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1607098113 .

French, J.E. and David F. Blake (2016).  “Discovery of Naturally Etched Fission Tracks and Alpha-Recoil Tracks in Submarine Glasses: Reevaluation of a Putative Biosignature for Earth and Mars.”  International Journal of Geophysics, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/2410573 .

Vaniman, D.T., D.L. Bish, D.W. Ming, T.F.  Bristow, R.V. Morris, D. F. Blake, 30 other named authors and the MSL Team (2013).  “Mineralogy of a Mudstone on Mars.”  Science, 10.1126/science.1243480 .

Blake, D.F., R. V. Morris, G. Kocurek, S. M. Morrison, R. T. Downs, D. Bish, and the MSL Team (2013).  “Curiosity at Gale crater, Mars:  Characterization and analysis of the Rocknest sand shadow.”  Science, 341, 1239505; doi:  10.1126/science.1239505 .

Blake, David F., David Vaniman, Cherie Achilles, Robert Anderson, David Bish, Tom Bristow, and 18 others (2012).  “Characterization and Calibration of the CheMin Mineralogical Instrument on Mars Science Laboratory.” Space Science Reviews, Vol. 170, Issue 1-4, pp. 341-399.

Schulte, M., D. Blake, T. Hoehler and T. McCollom (2006). “Serpentinization and its implications for life on the early Earth and Mars.” J. Astrobiology 6(2), 364-376.

Blake, D.F. and Peter Jenniskens (2001) “The Ice of Life.” Scientific American, 285 No. 2, 45–51, Aug. 2001.

Blake, D.F. and Katharine Kato (1995).”Latitudinal distribution of carbon soot in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.” Journal of Geophysical Research 100(D4):7195–7202.

Jenniskens, P. and David F. Blake. (1994). “Structural transitions in amorphous water ice and astrophysical implications.” Science 265:753–756.

Blake, D., L. Allamandola, S. Sandford, D. Hudgins and F. Freund (1991). “Clathrate hydrate formation in amorphous cometary ice analogs in vacuo. ” Science, 254:548–552.

Blake, D.F., et al. (1988). “The Nature and Origin of Interstellar Diamond.” Nature, 332:6165, 611–613.

Awards & Others

 H. Julian Allen Award for paper of the year “Calibration and Characterization of the CheMin Instrument…” (2019)

Steering Committee, Network for Life Detection (NfoLD) (2019)

Adjunct Faculty, Hawaii Institute of Planetology and Geophysics, University of Hawai’i (2008-present)

Adjunct Faculty, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (2018-present)

NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal “for Mars Science Laboratory and other flight missions” (2017)

NASA/ARC Ames Associate Fellow (2016-2018)

Government Invention of the Year, “CheMin X-ray Diffraction/X-ray Fluorescence Instrument” (2014)

NASA Group Achievement Award, “MSL Science Office Development and Operations Team” (2013)

NASA Group Achievement Award, “MSL CheMin Instrument Development and Science Team” (2013)

NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, “Leadership culminating in the deployment of CheMin on Mars” (2013)

Churchill Club “Magical Team” award, “MSL mission and CheMin instrument” (2013)

Government Commercial Invention of the Year, “Powder Movement System for Analytical Instruments” (2012)

NASA Exceptional Space Act Award, “Powder Handling Device for Analytical Instruments” (2011)

PITCONN Gold Medal, Best new commercial instrument” (2009)

Patent: “Powder Handling Device for Analytical Instruments” US 7,113,265 B1 (2006)

NASA Group Achievement Award, “Excellence in research and outstanding contributions to the emerging field of nanotechnology” (2000)

NASA Special Act / Service Awards: 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 (twice)

R&D 100 award for innovative technology, “CHEMIN XRD/XRF instrument” (1999)

NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, “Laboratory studies of interstellar ice analogs” (1998)

Patent: “X-ray Diffraction Apparatus” US 5,491,738 (1996)