Directory

Research Interests

I am interested in the study of meteorites to better understand the formation and evolution of our Solar System. My research approach is to use multiple techniques to characterise extra-terrestrial materials either in terms of petrology, composition and chronology. One of my main specialties is the analysis of meteorites using noble gases (He-Xe) and halogens (Cl, Br, I). I also study chronology, using a number of techniques including Ar-Ar, cosmic ray exposure, U-Pb and Pb-Pb. More recently, I have been working on overall compositional studies of meteorites at micro- and nanometer- scales, to include atom probe techniques.

Current research areas include

1. The chronometry planetary regoliths, with an aim to contribute to solving important scientific questions such as: When did planetary differentiation occur in the asteroid belt? When were the major impact events in the inner Solar System, and did all bodies experience the same history? Can we characterise and identify regolithic meteoritic materials?  Can secondary processes like weathering be quantitatively constrained?
2. Understanding the structures and compositions of undifferentiated meteorites (chondrites) at micro- and nanometer-scales, to help determine when the first solids in the Solar System formed, and to determine what processes led to their formation.

For more information about my research, please visit my group website: jacartwright.people.ua.edu.

Keywords: Planetary Science, Cosmochemistry, Noble Gases, Halogens, Meteorites, Mars, Chondrites, The Asteroid Belt, Chronology.

Current Research Projects

I am looking for motivated graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in planetary science and cosmochemistry to pursue topics in noble gases and chronology, as well as compositional studies of meteorites.

Do contact me if you’re interested in pursuing an undergraduate research project, a master’s degree or PhD in my group!

Courses Taught

• GEO 480/580 – Cosmochemistry and Techniques
• GEO 465/566 – Introduction to Planetary Science
• GEO 314 – Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
• GEO 101 – The Dynamic Earth

Publications

• Cartwright, J.A., Hodges, K.V., Wadhwa M. (2022) Evidence Against a Late Heavy Bombardment Event on Vesta. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, July, 117576.
• Swindle, T., Atreya, S., Busemann, H., Cartwright, J.A., Mahaffy, P., Marty, B., Pack, A., Schwenzer, S.P. Scientific Value of Including an Atmospheric Sample as part of Mars Sample Return (MSR). (2022). Astrobiology 22:S-165-175.
• Cohen B. A.., Anderson F. S., Arevalo Jr. R., Caffee M. W., Cartwright J. A., Cattani, F., Crow C., Curran N. M., DeWitt R., Dunlap D. R., Fassett C. I., Frasl B., Gehrels G., Herzog G. F., Hodges K. V., Jaret, S. J., Kirchoff M. R., Lapen T., Mercer C. M., Moriarty D. P., Neal C. R., Robbins S. J., Runyon K. D., Simon J. I., Shuster D. L. Suarez S. E., Swindle T. D., Tremblay M. M., Turrin, B. D., Wadhwa M., Zellner, N. (2021) Geochronology as a Framework for Inner Solar System History and Evolution. Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, 53:4. E-id 020.
• Rampe, E.B., Cartwright, J.A., McCubbin, F.M., Osterloo, M.M. The Role of Halogens During Fluid and Magmatic Processes on Mars. (2018). The Role of Halogens in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Geochemical Processes (Book). Springer.
• Cartwright J.A. Noble Gas Chemistry of Planetary Materials. (2015). Planetary Mineralogy (Book); EMU Notes in Mineraology, 15:165-212.
• Cartwright J.A., Ott U. and Mittlefehldt D.W. (2014) The quest for regolithic howardites. Part 2: Surface origins highlighted by noble gases. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 140:488-508.
• Cartwright J.A., Ott, U., Hermann, Agee, C.B. (2014) Modern atmospheric signatures in 4.4 Ga Martian meteorite NWA 7034. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 400:77-87.
• Mittlefehldt D.W., Herrin J.S., Quinn J.E., Mertzman S.A., Cartwright J.A., Mertzman K.R., and Peng, Z.X. (2013) Composition and petrology of HED polymict breccias: The regolith of (4) Vesta. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 48:2105-2134.
• Farley, K.A., Hurowitz, J.A., Asimow, P.D., Jacobson, N.S., and Cartwright, J.A. (2013). A double-spike method for K–Ar measurement: A technique for high precision in situ dating on Mars and other planetary surfaces: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 110:1-12.
• Cartwright, J.A., Ott, U., Mittlefehldt, D.W., Herrin, J.S., Hermann, S., Mertzman, S.A., Mertzman, K.R., Peng, Z.X., and Quinn, J.E. (2013) The quest for regolithic howardites. Part 1: Two trends uncovered using noble gases: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 105:395-421.
• Cartwright, J.A., Gilmour, J.D., and Burgess, R. (2013) Martian fluid and Martian weathering signatures identified in Nakhla, NWA 998 and MIL 03346 by halogen and noble gas analysis: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 105:255-293.
• Llorca, J., Roszjar, J., Cartwright, J.A., Bischoff, A., Ott, U., Pack, A., Merchel, S., Rugel, G., Fimiani, L., Ludwig, P., Casado, J.V., and Allepuz, D. (2013) The Ksar Ghilane 002 shergottite—The 100th registered Martian meteorite fragment: Meteoritics & Planetary Science 48:493-513.
• Cartwright J.A., Ocker K. D., Crowther S.A., Burgess R., and Gilmour J.D. (2010) Terrestrial and Martian weathering signatures of xenon components in shergottite mineral separates. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 45:1359-1379.

Selected Recent Conference Abstracts

• Cartwright, J. A., Kouvatsis I. & Whitehouse M. J. (2022). Investigating Mantle Reservoirs on Vesta using Pb Systematics. 85th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, (#6449). *Oral Presentation.
• Limbaugh, N., Cartwright, J. A. & Hallis, L. J. (2022). Martian and HED Melt Inclusion Analyses: Comparisons of Martian and Vestan Achondrite Parent Melt Compositions to Terrestrial Mafic Analogs. 85th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, (#6456).
• Kouvatsis, I. Cartwright, J. A. & Hames, W. A. (2022). The Aquas Zarcas Carbonaceous Chondrite Meteorite: A Study of Chondrules, Fine-grained Rims and Indications for a Heterogeneous Parent Body. 85th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, (#6308).
• Limbaugh N. G., and Cartwright J. A. (2022) Cumulate Eucrite, Diogenite and Nakhlite Melt Inclusion Analyses: Investigating Parent Melt Characteristics of Achondrites from Mars and 4 Vesta. NC-SE GSA Conference (54(4) – 15-4).
• Lopez J. J., Zahm N., Barton J., Cartwright J. A., Thompson G. B., Jordon J. B., Allison P. G. (2022) Local Resource Utilization of Lunar Regolith for Manufacturing at the Point-of-Need of Metal Matrix Composites. Earth and Space Science Conference 2022.
• Keenan S., Cartwright J. A., Genareau K. D., and Park C. (2022) Experimental Formation of Chondrules by Nebular Lightning. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (#2714).
• Limbaugh N. G., Cartwright J. A., and Hallis L. J. (2022) Nakhlite, Cumulate Eucrite and Diogenite Melt Inclusion Analyses: Investigating Parent Melt Characteristics of Achondrites from Mars and 4 Vesta. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (#2380).
• Barton J. C., Rupar P. A., Bara J. E., Fiske M., and Cartwright J. A. (2022) Synthesis of Regolith Bricks in Application to In-Situ Resource Utilization on Extra-terrestrial Surfaces. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (#2711).
• Kouvatsis I., Cartwright J. A., and Whitehouse M. J. (2022) Lead-Lead (Pb-Pb) Dating of Eucrites and Mesosiderites: Implications for the Formation and Evolution of Vesta. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (#1248).
• Peter A. S., Nakarmi P., Mewes T., Cartwright J. A. (2022) Towards a Unified Regolith Index for Howardites. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (#2836).
• Clarke, J. A., Cartwright, J. A., Stowell H. H., Tobin T. S. (2021) Exploration of the K-Pg Impactor Through a Study of Tektites from the Gulp Coastal Plain. 40th Annual Technical Meeting of the National Association of Black Geoscientists.
• Clarke, J. A., Cartwright, J. A., Stowell H. H., Tobin T. S. (2021) Exploration of the K-Pg Impactor Through a Study of Tektites from the Gulp Coastal Plain. 84th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, (#6277).
• Kouvatsis, I. & Cartwright, J. A. (2021). Investigating the Impact Flux of the Early Solar System Through the Analysis of HEDs and Mesosiderites. 84th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, (#6208).
• Boyd, M. R., Cartwright, J. A., Singh, J., Bagot, P. A. J., Moody, M. P. (2021). Nanoscale Chemical Heterogeneity in an Antarctic Micrometeorite Revealed by Atom Probe Tomography. 84th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, (#6278).
• Kouvatsis, I. & Cartwright, J. A. (2021). A Study of Melt Clasts in Eucrite Northwest Africa 11548. 70th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America Online.
• Boyd, M. R., Cartwright, J. A., Singh, J., Bagot, P. A. J., Moody, M. P. (2021). Investigating the Effects of Atmospheric Entry on Cosmic Dust Using Atom Probe Tomography. 70th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America Online.
• Cartwright, J. A. & Kouvatsis, I. (2021). Further HED analysis to Investigate the Bombardment History of Vesta. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (abstract# 2739). Conference online.
• Kouvatsis, I. & Cartwright, J. A. (2021). Petrography of Eucrite Northwest Africa 11458: Search for Melt Clasts. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (abstract# 2683).
• Boyd, M. R., Cartwright, J. A., Singh, J., Bagot, P. A. J., Moody, M. P. (2021). Nanoscale Compositional Analysis of an Antarctic Micrometeorite using Atom Probe Tomography. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (abstract# 2449).