John Grotzinger

John Grotzinger is the Harold Brown Professor of Geology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he serves in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. A leading figure in geoscience, he specializes in sedimentology, stratigraphy, geobiology, and the study of ancient surface processes on Earth and Mars. Grotzinger received his B.S. in geology from Hobart College in 1979, M.S. from the University of Montana in 1981, and Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1985. Early in his career, he worked as a Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada (1985-1988) and held postdoctoral and associate positions at Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory. At MIT from 1988 to 2005, he progressed from Assistant to Full Professor, served as Waldemar Lindgren Distinguished Scholar, Director of the Earth Resources Laboratory, and Robert E. Shrock Professor of Geology. He first visited Caltech as Visiting Associate Professor in 1996, became Moore Distinguished Scholar in 2004, and joined full-time in 2005 as Fletcher Jones Professor. He chaired the Division from 2014 to 2024 and holds the Ted and Ginger Jenkins Leadership Chair.

Grotzinger's research examines the early environmental evolution of Earth and Mars, focusing on chemical and physical conditions of ancient oceans and atmospheres, microbial habitability, and geologic records of life. He led as Chief Scientist for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover) from 2006 to 2015 and contributes to the Mars 2020 (Perseverance) mission. His laboratory investigates field sites such as Cryogenian and Ediacaran rocks in Namibia and Brazil, microbial mats in the Turks and Caicos, and carbonate systems in the western U.S. as analogs for ancient deposits. Notable publications include "A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars" (2014), "Mars Science Laboratory mission and science investigation" (2012), "In situ evidence for an ancient aqueous environment at Meridiani Planum, Mars" (2004), "Stromatolites in Precambrian carbonates: evolutionary mileposts or environmental dipsticks?" (1999), and works on Ediacaran ocean oxidation and early animal evolution. He also co-directed the Simons Collaboration on the Origins of Life from 2018 to 2023.

Professional Email: grotz@caltech.edu