Kimberley Warren-Rhodes

Affiliation: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute

Division: Space Science and Astrobiology Division (ST)

Branch: Planetary Systems Branch (STT)

Email: krhodes@seti.org / kwarrenrhodes@gmail.com

Education

Ph.D. in Environmental Science & Engineering, Stanford University, 1996.

Research Interests

My research centers on astrobiology and microbial ecology of extreme analog (Mars, Ocean/Icy Worlds) environments. I particularly focus on micro-climate sensor monitoring arrays, drone and statistical ecology mapping, quantification of biosignatures and the application of AI/ML to the search for and detection of life during missions in our solar system and beyond. My current and future work includes science investigations in the Taklimakan Desert and Tibetan Plateau, the Atacama Desert, Iceland, Antarctica, Death Valley/Mojave Desert, Namib Desert, and the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands.

Select Publications

Warren-Rhodes K, NA Cabrol, M Phillips, CT Cayo, F Kalaitzis, D Ayma et al. (2023). Orbit-to-ground framework to decode and predict biosignature patterns in terrestrial analogues. Nature Astronomy, 7, 406-422. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01882-x.

Warren-Rhodes, K., Cabrol, N., Phillips, M. (2023). Using machine learning to optimize the search for biosignatures. Research Briefing. Nature Astronomy 7, 378-379.

Phillips, M., McInenly, M., Hofmann, M., Hinman, N., Warren-Rhodes, K., Rivera-Valentín, E., Cabrol, N.  (2023). Salt constructs in paleo-lake basins as high-priority astrobiology targets: Remote Sensing,15(2), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15020314.

Hoffman, M., Hinman, N., Phillips, M., McInenly, M., Chong-Diaz, G., Warren-Rhodes, K., Cabrol, N. (2023). Gypsum-lined degassing holes in tumuli. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. http://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5692

Archer S, KC Lee, T Caruso, A Alcami, K. Warren-Rhodes, Pointing, S. (2023). Contribution of soil bacteria to the atmosphere across biomes. Science Total Environ, 871, 162137.

Cowan DA, SC Cary, J DiRuggiero, F Eckardt, B Ferrari, DW Hopkins, PH Lebre, G Maggs-Kölling, SSB Pointing, JB Ramond, D Tribbia, K Warren-Rhodes(2023). ‘Follow the Water’: Microbial Water Acquisition in Desert Soils. Microorganisms, 11, 1670. doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11071670.

Glass B, Bergman D, Parro V, Kobayashi L, Stoker C, Quinn R, Davila A, Willis P, Brinckerhoff W, Warren-Rhodes K, Wilhelm MB, Caceres L, DiRuggiero J, Zacny K, Moreno-Paz M, Dave A, Seitz S, Grubisic A, Castillo M, Bonaccorsi R and the ARADS team (2023). The Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) Project. Astrobiology 23, 1245-1258. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0126.

Moreno-Paz M, dos Santos SR, Sánchez-García L, Manchado J, García-Villadngos M, Aguirre J, Fernández-Martínez M, Carrizo D, Kobayashi L, Dave A, Warren-Rhodes K, Davila A, Stoker C, Glass B and Parro V (2023). Life detection and microbial biomarker profiling with Signs of Life Detector-Life Detector Chip during a Mars drilling simulation campaign in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. Astrobiology 23, 1259-1283. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0126.

Bonaccorsi R, Glass B, Moreno-Paz M, García-Villadngos M, Warren-Rhodes K, Parro V, Manchado J, Wilhelm and McKay, Christopher P  (2023). In situ real-time monitoring for aseptic drilling: lessons learned from the Atacama Rover astroliology drilling studies contamination control strategy and implementation and application to the Icebreaker Mars life detection mission. Astrobiology 23, 1303-1336. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0126.

Hinman, N., Hoffman, M., Warren-Rhodes, K., Phillips, M., Noffke et al. (2022). Surface morphologies in a Mars analog Ca-sulfate Salar, High Andes, Northern Chile. Front. Astron. Space Sci., 8, 797591  doi:10.3389/fspas.2021.797591

Phillips, M., Moersch, J, Cabrol, N., Candela, A., Wettergreen, D., Warren-Rhodes, K., Hinman, N.  the SETI NAI Team (2022). Planetary mapping using Deep Learning: A method to evaluate feature identification confidence applied to habitats in Mars-analog terrain, Astrobiology, v. 23(1), doi:https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2022.0014.

Warren-Rhodes, K., Phillips, M., Davila, A., C.P. McKay. Insights of Extreme Desert Ecology to the Habitats and Habitability of Mars (2022). In: Microbiology of Hot Deserts. Ramond, J., Cowan, D. (eds). Ecological Studies 244, Springer Nature, Switzerland.

Davila, A., Warren-Rhodes, K.,J. DiRuggiero (2021). The Atacama Desert: a window into late Mars surface habitability. In: Mars Geological Enigmas: From the Late Noachian Epoch to the Present Day. Soare, R., Conway, S., Williams, J.P and D. Oehler (eds). pp. 333-350. Elsevier, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

Warren-Rhodes, K., K. Lee, S. Archer, L. Ng Boyle, N. Cabrol, D. Wettergreen, et al. (2019). Subsurface microbial habitats in an extreme desert Mars-analogue environment. Front. Microbiol. (2019). doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00069.

Fernández-Martinez, M., Y. López-Blanco, M. Paz, K. Warren-Rhodes, A. Barberán, I. Carreño, R. Severino, M. García-Villadangos, D. Wettergreen, N. Cabrol and V. Parro. (2019). Prokaryotic community structure and metabolisms in shallow subsurface of Atacama desert playas and alluvial fans after heavy rains: repairing and preparing for the next dry period. Front. Microbiol. 10:1641. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.10641.

Wilhelm, M, Davila, A., Parenteau, M., Jahnke, L., Abate, M., Cooper, G., Kelly, T., Parro, V., Villadangos, M., Blanco, Y., Glass, B.. Wray, J., Eigenbrode, J., Summons, R. and K. Warren-Rhodes. (2017). Constraints on the metabolic activity of microorganisms in Atacama surface soils inferred from refractory biomarkers: implications for martian habitability and biomarker detection. Astrobiology 18:7 (955-966) doi:10.1089/ast.2017.1705.

Lacap-Bugler, D., Lee, K., Archer, S., Gillman, L., Lau, M., Leuzinger, S., Lee, C., Maki, T., McKay, C., Perrott, J., de los Rios-Murillo, A., Warren-Rhodes, K., Hopkins, D. and Pointing, S. (2017). Global Diversity of Desert Hypolithic Cyanobacteria. Front. Microbiol. 8. Doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00867.

Warren-Rhodes K, McKay CP, Boyle L, Wing M, Kiekebusch E, Cowan D, Stomeo F, Pointing S, Kaseke K, Eckardt F, Henschel J, Anisfeld A, Seely M and K Rhodes (2013). Physical Ecology of hypolithic communities in the central Namib Desert: The role of fog, rain, rock habitat, and light. JGR Biogeosciences 118, doi:10.1002/jgrg.20117, 2013.

Warren-Rhodes K, Rhodes K, Liu S and McKay C. (2007). Nanoclimate environment of cyanobacterial communities in China’s hot and cold hyperarid deserts. JGR Biogeosciences 112, G01016 doi:10.10292006JG000260.

Warren-Rhodes K, Rhodes K, Pointing B, Ewing S, Lacap D, Gómez-Silva B, Amundson R, EI Friedmann, and McKay C. (2006). Hypolithic cyanobacteria, dry limit of photosynthesis and microbial ecology in the hyperarid Atacama Desert. Microbial Ecology 52:389-398.

Select Accepted Proposals

NAI Changing Planetary Environments and Fingerprints of Life

Robotic Investigation of Subsurface Life in the Atacama

ASTEP Life in the Atacama Project (I and II)

NASA Exobiology Long term extreme environment & mars analog studies in the Atacama Desert 

Awards & Others

NASA Biosignatures Ideas Lab

Frontiers Development Lab, The SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center

Director’s Discretionary Fund, NASA Ames Research Center

National Academies of Science, NRC, NASA Ames Research Center

National Science Foundation, National Women in Engineering Fellowship, Stanford Univeristy

John D and Catherine T McArthur Foundation, Stanford University