Purucker's interests focus on the role of magnetic fields as fingerprints of processes in planetary lithospheres. Those processes include heat flux, tectonics, insolation, subduction, rheology, basin development, and internal-external field interactions. He has worked on in-situ and remotely sensed magnetic field observations from the Earth, Mars, Mercury, and the Moon. In his work for NASA, he has been involved in planetary, and terrestrial orbital and suborbital missions and proposals that focus on mapping the magnetic field, and complementary properties. He produced the first global magnetic model of the Moon (Purucker and Nicholas, 2010, Journal of Geophysical Research) and Mars (Purucker et al., 2001, Geophysical Research Letters) and was one of the leaders in the first World Digital Magnetic anomaly Map of the Earth (Purucker, 2007). He is currently a scientist in the Planetary Magnetospheres Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Michael E Purucker
(RESEARCH AST, PLANETARY STUDIES)
| Email: | michael.e.purucker@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.614.6473 |
| Org Code: | 695 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 695 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Missions & Projects
Brief Bio
Current Projects
Swarm Co-Investigator
Geophysics
I have assisted in the conception and development stages, and post-launch as a CoI, on this Earth-orbiting constellation mission to map and decipher the Earth's magnetic fields since its conception in 2000, through its selection by ESA in 2004, and its launch and ongoing operation. We hope that it yields science through the early 2030s.
ESCAPADE
Mars
Science Co-I on this planned multi-point continuation of MAVEN, with a focus on disentangling magnetic gradients of internal (within the planet) or external origin.
Positions/Employment
Scientist
Planetary Magnetospheres Lab, Solar System Exploration Division, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center
August 2022 - Present
Associate Chief, Planetary Magnetospheres Lab
NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center
June 2021 - August 2022
Serving as Deputy to Jared Espley
Planetary Magnetosphere Lab chief
Solar System Exploration Division, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center
April 2015 - June 2021
Visiting Scientist
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Wissenschaftpark "Albert Einstein", Telegrafenberg - Potsdam, Germany
March 2003 - June 2014
With the agreement and support of NASA, I spent 1-2 mos/year in residence at GFZ-Potsdam supporting European space missions (Orsted, SAC-C, CHAMP & Swarm) that measure the geomagnetic field, and associated properties.
Chief Scientist, Deputy Chief Scientist
SGT Inc. - Planetary Geodynamics Lab, Goddard Space Flight Center
May 1986 - April 2015
Chief Geologist
Phoenix Corp. - McLean, VA
March 1984 - November 1985
Geophysicist
US Geological Survey - Flagstaff, AZ and Alaska
September 1976 - August 1981
Teaching Experience
Invited Professor, Geodynamo laboratory, ISTerre, Univ. de Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France, Fall, 2012.
Visiting Professor, Global COE (Center of Excellence) Program, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, Spring, 2011
Invited Professor (1st Class), Laboratoire de Planetologie et Geodynamique, Univ. de Nantes, Nantes, France,2005, 2008, 2009; Visiting scientist 2010, 2011
Invited Professor (2nd class), Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Laboratoire de geomagnetisme, Paris, France.Summers of 2000 and 2001.
Education
1976 - MS (Planetary Science) California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
1984 - Ph.D (Geology) Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Professional Service
Geological Society of Washington: Meeting Secretary, 2024; Program Chair, 2023; Webmaster & Social Media lead, 2021-2023; President-elect, 2018; President, 2019; Councilor, 2012-2013.
Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism (GP) section secretary, American Geophysical Union, 2003-2004
Member of the US National committee for Geodesy and Geophysics. Promotes the advancement of geophysical and geodetical sciences in the US and throughout the world by participating in the activities of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. 2011-2015
Executive committee, World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map, 2005-2018; Vice-Chair, 2007-2013
Professional Societies
American Geophysical Union
1972 - Present
Geological Society of Washington
1986 - Present
Awards
NASA Group Achievement Award to MESSENGER Project Team, 2017
NASA Public Service Group Achievement Award for Comprehensive Magnetic Field Modeling, 2009
NASA Group Achievement Award to MESSENGER Mission team, 2008
Green Prize for "Outstanding Ability and Achievement in the field of creative scholarship", California Institute of Technology, 1976
Other Professional Information
Advisor for a Ph.D. student (Cathrine Fox Maule) from Copenhagen University, Dept. of Physics, 2003-2005
Advisor for a Ph.D. student (Benoit Langlais) from the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (1999-2001)
Service on a panel evaluating the U.S. Geological Survey program in geomagnetism, 2004-2005.
Service on professional assessment committees for the Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark and the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism.
Service on a Ph.D. thesis committee of Universite de Nantes, Nantes, France. I served as the Rapporteur on a thesis by J. Olivera entitled ‘The magnetic field of Mercury as measured by the MESSENGER spacecraft, Apr 2015
Service on a habilitation committee of the IPG-Paris for the HDR of Erwan Thebault.2014.
Service on a Ph.D. thesis committee of the Universite de Nantes, Nantes, France. I served as the Rapporteur on a thesis by Y. Quesnel entitled ‘Interpretation des donnees magnetiques martiennes: Contraintes sur l’evolution primitive de Mars’, Nov, 2006
Service on a Ph.D. thesis committee of University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. (Jon Turner, ‘Signal processing of satellite magnetic data’, May, 2003).
Service on a Ph.D. thesis committee of the Institut de Physique du Globe, Paris, France. I served as the Rapporteur on a thesis by B. Langlais entitled ‘Les Champs magnetiques de la Terre et de Mars: Apport des satellites Orsted et Mars Global Surveyor’, Oct, 2001.
Service on a Ph.D. thesis committtee of the Universite de Bretagne Occidentale, France. I served as the Rapporteur or external examiner on a thesis by N. Grammatica entitled ‘Induction electromagnetique globale dans une Terre heterogene: etudes a partir de donnees d’observatoires et de donnees du satellite MAGSAT’. Sept, 2000.
Advisor for a M.S. student (David Lowe) at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 1998-2000.
Selected Publications
Refereed
2023. "Lunar Magnetism." Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 89 (5): 207-241 [10.2138/rmg.2023.89.05] [Article in Book]
2023. "Quantifying the global solar wind-magnetosphere interaction with the Solar-Terrestrial Observer for the Response of the Magnetosphere (STORM) mission concept." Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 10 [10.3389/fspas.2023.1138616] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "On the determination and interpretation of the lithospheric induced magnetization." Earth and Planetary Science Letters [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Next generation magnetic field measurements from low-earth orbit satellites enable enhanced space weather operations." Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 9 [10.3389/fspas.2022.1076892] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Lunar Magnetic Field Models From Lunar Prospector and SELENE/Kaguya Along‐Track Magnetic Field Gradients." Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 125 (7): [10.1029/2019je006187] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "A New Model of the Crustal Magnetic Field of Mars Using MGS and MAVEN." Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 2018JE005854 [10.1029/2018je005854] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Laser Remote Magnetometry Using Mesospheric Sodium." Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics [10.1029/2018ja025178] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Imaging Plasma Density Structures in the Soft X-Rays Generated by Solar Wind Charge Exchange with Neutrals." Space Science Reviews 214 (4): 79 [10.1007/s11214-018-0504-7] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Magnetism at Depth: A View from an Ancient Continental Subduction and Collision Zone." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 19 (4): 1123-1147 [10.1002/2017gc007344] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "The Varying Core Magnetic Field from a Space Weather Perspective." Space Science Reviews 214 (1): 11 [10.1007/s11214-017-0443-8] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "Making a Better Magnetic Map." Eos 97 [10.1029/2016eo054645] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Low-altitude magnetic field measurements by MESSENGER reveal Mercury's ancient crustal field." Science 348 (6237): 892-895 [Full Text] [10.1126/science.aaa8720] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Crustal Magnetism." Treatise on Geophysics 185-218 [10.1016/b978-0-444-53802-4.00100-7] [Article in Book]
2012. "MESSENGER observations of Mercury's magnetic field structure." Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 117 (E12): [10.1029/2012je004217] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Magnetic signature of the lunar South Pole-Aitken basin: Character, origin, and age." Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 117 (E5): [10.1029/2011je003922] [Journal Article/Letter]
2011. "The apparent lack of lunar-like swirls on Mercury: Implications for the formation of lunar swirls and for the agent of space weathering ." Icarus 209 (1): 239-246 [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "Global spherical harmonic models of the internal magnetic field of the Moon based on sequential and coestimation approaches." Journal of Geophysical Research 115 E12007 [10.1029/2010JE003650] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "The magnetic field of the Earth's lithosphere." Space Science Reviews 155 (1-4): 95-127 [10.1007/s11214-010-9667-6] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "Study of impact demagnetization at Mars using Monte Carlo modeling and multiple altitude data." Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets 115 (E7): E07007 [10.1029/2009JE003556] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "Crustal Magnetic Fields of Terrestrial Planets." Space Science Reviews 152 (1-4): 223-249 [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "How strong are lunar crustal magnetic fields at the surface?: Considerations from a reexamination of the electron reflectometry technique." Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets 115 [10.1029/2009JE003516] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "The Magnetic Field of Mercury ." Space Science Reviews 152 (1-4): 307-339 [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "STRATOSPHERIC SATELLITES FOR EARTH OBSERVATIONS." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 90 (8): 1109-+ [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Magnetic field gradients from the ST-5 constellation: Improving magnetic and thermal models of the lithosphere." Geophys Res. Lett 34 (24): L24306 [10.1029/2007GL031739] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Age spot or youthful marking: Origin of Reiner Gamma." Geophysical Research Letters 34 (2): L02205 [10.1029/2006gl027794] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Magnetic Anomaly map of the World." EOS Transactions of the American Geophysical Union 88 (25): 263 [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "The Swarm End-to-End mission simulator study: A demonstration of separating the various contributions to Earth’s magnetic field using synthetic data." Earth, Planets and Space 58 (4): 359-370 [10.1186/bf03351934] [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Magnetic images of the Sumatran region crust." EOS Transactions of the American Geohysical Union 86 (10): 101-102 [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Heat flux anomalies in Antarctica revealed by magnetic data." Science 309 464-467 [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "Extending comprehensive models of the Earth's magnetic field with Ørsted and CHAMP data." Geophysical Journal International 159 (2): 521-547 [10.1111/j.1365-246x.2004.02421.x] [Journal Article/Letter]
2002. "Compatibility of high-altitude aeromagnetic and satellite-altitude magnetic anomalies over Canada." GEOPHYSICS 67 (2): 546-554 [10.1190/1.1468615] [Journal Article/Letter]
2002. "The southern edge of cratonic North America: Evidence from new satellite magnetometer observations." GeophysResLett 29 (15): 8000 [10.1029/2001GL013645] [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "Ørsted Initial Field Model." Geophysical Research Letters 27 (22): 3607-3610 [10.1029/2000gl011930] [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "An altitude-normalized magnetic map of Mars and its interpretation." Geophys. Res. Lett. 27 (16): 2449-2452 [10.1029/2000GL000072] [Journal Article/Letter]
1999. "Mapping and interpretation of satellite magnetic anomalies from POGO data over the Antarctic region." Annali di Geofisica 42 (2): 215-227 [Full Text] [Journal Article/Letter]
1998. "Global magnetization models with a priori information." Journal of Geophysical Research 103 2563-2584 [Journal Article/Letter]
1997. "The missing dimension in Magsat and POGO anomaly studies." Geophysical Research Letters 24 (22): 2909-2912 [10.1029/97gl52978] [Journal Article/Letter]
1996. "Conjugate Gradient Analysis: A New Tool For Studying Satellite Magnetic Data Sets." Geophysical Research Letters 23 (5): 507-510 [Full Text] [10.1029/96GL00388] [Journal Article/Letter]
1980. "Early Acquisition of Characteristic Magnetization In Red Beds of the Moenkopi Formation (Triassic), Gray Mountain, Arizona." Journal of Geophysical Research 85 997 -1012 [Journal Article/Letter]
Non-Refereed
2011. "Mapping and interpretation of the lithospheric magnetic field." Springer 5 311-338 [10.1007/978-90-481-9858-0_13] [Article in Book]