E.S. (Edgar) Steenstra PhD
E.S. (Edgar) Steenstra PhD
Profile
I use high-pressure, high-temperature experimental techniques to study the evolution of rocky planets and planetesimals. By subjecting rocks, metals and fluids to extreme pressures and temperatures I determine their chemical and physical properties. This generally involves the use of hydraulic presses, furnaces, autoclaves and in situ measurement techniques (e.g. X-ray absorption) and thermogravimetric analyses.
This data provides the fundamental input for interpretation of various observations from space (e.g. planetary interior models, surface compositions, atmosphere compositions). Recent work includes studies of core formation in terrestrial planets, evaporation of volatile elements (e.g. sulfur) from planetary surfaces, magma ocean differentiation and constraints on the chemical bulk compositions of the rocky planets. Future work is focused on Venus and the coupled chemical evolution of the mantle, crust and atmosphere.
I am keen to apply my expertise in other fields as well, including material science and metallurgy, chemical analyses and their coupling with aerospace engineering .
Examples of recent key publications;
- Steenstra E.S. et al. (2024) Quantification of Evaporative Loss of Volatile Metals from Planetary Cores and Metal-rich Planetesimals. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, in press.
- Steenstra E.S. et al. (2024) Thermal stability of F-rich Phlogopite and K-richterite during Partial Melting of Metasomatized Mantle Peridotite with Implications for Deep Earth Volatile Cycles. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, in press.
- Steenstra E.S. et al. (2023) Evaporation of moderately volatile elements from metal and sulfide melts: implications for volatile element abundances in magmatic iron meteorites. Earth Planetary Science Letters, 622, 118406.
- Haupt C.P., Renggli C.J., Klaver M., Steenstra E.S., Berndt J., Rohrbach A., Klemme S. (2023) Experimental and Petrological Investigations into the Origin of the Lunar Chang'E 5 Basalts. Icarus, 402, 115625.
- Steenstra E.S. et al. (2022) The solubility of sulfur in a deep magma ocean: implications for the deep sulfur cycle. Geochemical Perspective Letters, 22, 5–9.
- Steenstra E.S. et al. (2020) Highly reduced accretion of the Earth by large impactors? Evidence from elemental partitioning between sulfide liquids and silicate melts at highly reduced conditions. Geochimica et Cosmochica Acta, 286, 248-268.
- Steenstra E.S., van Westrenen W. (2020) Geochemical constraints on core-mantle differentiation in Mercury and the aubrite parent body. Icarus, 340, 113621.
Expertise
Publications
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2024
Quantification of Evaporative Loss of Volatile Metals from Planetary Cores and Metal-rich Planetesimals
E.S. Steenstra / C.J. Renggli / J. Berndt / S. Klemme
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2024
Thermal Stability of F-Rich Phlogopite and K-Richterite During Partial Melting of Metasomatized Mantle Peridotite With Implications for Deep Earth Volatile Cycles
E. S. Steenstra / M. Klaver / J. Berndt / S. Flemetakis / A. Rohrbach / S. Klemme
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2023
Endogenous lunar volatiles
F.M. McCubbin / J.J. Barnes / P. Ni / H. Hui / R.L. Klima / D. Burney / JMD Day / T. Magna / JW Boyce / R Tartése / K.E. Vander Kaaden / E.S. Steenstra / S.M. Elardo / R.A. Zeigler / M. Anand / Y. Liu
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2023
Evaporation of moderately volatile elements from metal and sulfide melts: implications for volatile element abundances in magmatic iron meteorites
E.S. Steenstra / C.J. Renggli / Jasper Berndt / S. Klemme
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2023
Experimental and petrological investigations into the origin of the lunar Chang'e 5 basalts
C.P. Haupt / C.J. Renggli / M. Klaver / E.S. Steenstra / J. Berndt / A. Rohrbach / S. Klemme
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Courses 2024
Prizes
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2023
ERC Starting Grant VenusVolAtmos
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2021
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship H2020
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2019
Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellowship
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2017
Lunar and Planetary Institute Young Career Development Award
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2015
Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program Participant
The Exploration Science Summer Intern Program builds on the success of the Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program that was designed to evaluate possible landing sites on the Moon for robotic and human exploration missions. Over a five year period (2008–2012), teams of students worked with Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) science staff and their collaborators to produce A Global Lunar Landing Site Study to Provide the Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon. Student teams also produced a series of influential journal articles (O’Sullivan et al. 2011; Flahaut et al. 2012; Lemelin et al. 2014; Potts et al. 2015; Steenstra et al. 2016; Allender et al. 2019; Bickel et al. 2019; Sargeant et al., 2020; Bickel and Kring 2020; Gawronska et al. 2020; Halim et al. 2021; Czaplinski et al. 2021; Kumari et al. 2022; Tai Udovicic et al. 2023; Peña-Asensio et al. 2024).
Ancillary activities
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2024-01-05 - 2026-01-05