Tina Seeger

Ph.D. Candidate

My Philosophy

Welcome! My name is Tina and I am a planetary geologist currently finishing my Ph.D. at Caltech. Geologists are those fun scientists who hike around and lick rocks, but what the heck is a *planetary* geologist?? Great question. It's how I combine my love of rocks with a passion for astronomy that stretches back to childhood: I look at rocks in space. This work has taken me across the solar system, from Mars to Jupiter's moon Io, while still allowing me to ground (ha) my research in terrestrial geology. I love to spend time outside in the field, hiking around with a backpack full of rocks, and find this setting to be one of the best places to share my knowledge and help connect other people to the world around them. Please poke around and learn a bit more about what I love!

Research

My research focuses on sedimentary processes and the evolution of planetary surfaces on two vastly different bodies: one that has barely changed in 3.5 billion years, and one that changes almost daily. The Solar System can be a series of fun house mirrors held up to the Earth, and I am most excited about the creative space where we can look outwards to better understand the rocks underneath our feet.

Teaching

I love working with students of all levels inside the classroom and out in the field. I’ve had a blast as a TA and guest lecturer for two courses at Caltech (both with a field component) and am working towards Caltech’s Certificate of Practice in Teaching.

Beyond the Classroom

I’ve spent 8 wonderful summers working as an Interpretive Ranger for the National Park Service–at Mount Rainier in Washington and Denali in Alaska. Helping people find connection to and meaning in the world around them is extremely rewarding to me, and is a core part of what I do!

Projects

Learn more about my Thesis and life chapters

Mars

Io

Outreach & Public Speaking

How does NASA name things on Mars?

Check out my JPL Mars Report video!

My Journey

  • Williams College

    B.A. in Geoscience (Highest Honors) & Astronomy
    Senior Thesis: Geomorphology of Mountains on Io advised by Dr. Ronadh Cox

  • Ranger Tina

    I spent 7 magical summers leading Night Sky programs as Mount Rainier’s ‘Dark Ranger’ before heading north to make geology programs under the Midnight Sun in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska!

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    Western Washington University

    M.S. in Geology Advised by Dr. Melissa Rice.
    Thesis: Using multispectral imagery to interrogate deposition, alteration, and weathering along Curiosity rover’s traverse

  • Present

    Caltech

    Ph.D. Candidate in Geology
    Advised by Dr. John Grotzinger and Dr. Katherine de Kleer

  • ??
    I'm looking
    for jobs!

Select Publications

Seeger, C. H., and Grotzinger, J. P. (in review). Diagenesis of the Clay-Sulfate Stratigraphic Transition, Mount Sharp Group, Gale Crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets.

Stack, K. M., and 41 coauthors incl. C. H. Seeger (2024). Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of the Shenandoah Formation, Western Fan, Jezero Crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 129(2), e2023JE008187. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JE008187

Eng, A. M., and 16 coauthors incl. C. H. Seeger. (2024). A Mastcam multispectral investigation of rock variability in Gale crater, Mars: Implications for alteration in the clay‐sulfate transition of Mount Sharp. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 129(2), e2023JE008033. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JE008033

Treiman, A. H., and 51 coauthors incl. C. H. Seeger. (2023). Manganese-Iron Phosphate Nodules at the Groken Site, Gale Crater, Mars. Minerals, 13(9), 1122. https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091122

Bell III, J. F., and 92 coauthors incl. C. H. Seeger. (2022). Geological, multispectral, and meteorological imaging results from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in Jezero crater. Science Advances, 8(47), eabo4856. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abo4856

Rudolph, A., Horgan, B., Johnson, J., Bennett, K., Haber, J., Bell III, J. F., Fox, V., Jacob, S., Maurice, S., Rampe, E., Rice, M., Seeger, C., and Wiens, R. (2022). The distribution of clay minerals and their impact on diagenesis in Glen Torridon, Gale crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 127(10), e2021JE007098. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JE007098

Haber, J. T., Horgan, B., Fraeman, A. A., Johnson, J. R., Bell III, J. F., Rice, M. S., Seeger, C. H., … & Jacob, S. (2022). Mineralogy of a possible ancient lakeshore in the Sutton Island member of Mt. Sharp, Gale crater, Mars, from Mastcam multispectral images. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 127(10), e2022JE007357. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JE007357

Rice, M. S., Seeger, C., Bell, J., Calef, F., St. Clair, M., Eng, A., … & Wellington, D. (2022). Spectral diversity of rocks and soils in Mastcam observations along the Curiosity rover’s traverse in Gale crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 127(8), e2021JE007134. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JE007134

Seeger, C., Using Multispectral Imagery to Interrogate Deposition, Alteration, and Weathering Across Curiosity Rover’s Traverse in Gale Crater, Mars. (2020). WWU Graduate School Collection. 974. https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/974

Contact Me

Please use this form to get in touch. If you are enquiring about a speaking engagement, please include some details about your organization or school and what topics you would be excited to host a talk about!