D. P. Moriarty
Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, College Park
Papers
5
Total Citations
56
H-Index
3
About
D. P. Moriarty is a leading planetary scientist whose research focuses on the geology, mineralogy, and impact history of the Moon, with a particular emphasis on the lunar south pole and major basin-forming events. Their work has been instrumental in characterizing impact melt facies in the Crisium Basin, providing critical context for understanding the Late Heavy Bombardment—a period that coincided with the emergence of life on Earth. Moriarty’s studies on spinel-bearing lithologies from the Luna 20 mission have shed light on the composition of the Moon’s deep crust and upper mantle, challenging assumptions about their origins. Their mineralogical characterization of the Artemis exploration zone (2024, 14 citations) directly supports NASA’s upcoming crewed missions by informing landing site selection. With a total of over 50 citations across their most-cited papers, Moriarty has also contributed to the MoonRise mission concept for sample return from the South Pole-Aitken basin and explored end-member volcanism at the Aristarchus Plateau. Their work bridges fundamental lunar science with practical exploration goals, making them a key figure in preparing for the next era of human and robotic lunar exploration.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 5Exploring end-member volcanism on the Moon at the Aristarchus Plateau2 citations · 2021