Research:Michael E. Summers


Michael E. Summers works in planetary science, and specializes in the study of a variety of chemical and dynamical processes in planetary atmospheres. His work is primarily theoretical in nature, but he serves on several space mission science teams in the role of science planning and in the interpretation of spacecraft observations. Dr. Summers’ planetary research has dealt with the structure and evolution of the atmospheres of Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Io, Titan, Triton, Uranus, Pluto and its moon Charon. He is a member of the Science Team on the New Horizons mission to Pluto/Charon and the Kuiper Belt that was launched in January, 2006, and performed a flyby of Jupiter in February 2007. His research on the Pluto-Charon system focuses on understanding Pluto’s atmospheric structure and its rapid loss to space. His most recent work deals with the gravitational capture of Pluto’s expanding atmosphere by its moon Charon. His current research on the atmosphere of Mars is addressing some of the questions posed by the possible existence of subsurface life and the release of metabolic by-products that would serve as biomarkers. He is co-investigator on the NASA Langley Mars Airplane proposal that was a finalist for the first Mars Scout Mission. Dr. Summers’ work on Earth’s atmosphere has dealt with middle atmospheric ozone chemistry, the chemistry and dynamics of trace gases such as methane, water vapor, and carbon monoxide, heterogeneous chemistry on meteor dust, the influence of solar variability on the state of the stratosphere and mesosphere, and polar mesospheric clouds and their connection to climate. Dr. Summers’ current work on the terrestrial atmosphere deals with the sources and sinks of middle atmospheric water vapor and the role of water in the formation and evolution of Noctilucent Clouds. He is a member of the science team of the AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere) Small Explorer mission that was launched in April, 2007 as the first dedicated mission to study the role of these high altitude clouds as indicators of global climate change.


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