Photo by Will SawyerDr. Paul Buchanan recently traveled to France to defend a scientific paper he authored on the asteroid Vesta, but today he is teaching a KC class on volcanoes.
Buchanan has spent much of his career studying Vesta which underwent volcanic and igneous processes very similar to those found on Earth, early in solar system history.
“I worked on this subject originally for my Ph.D. at the University of Houston. This new paper is an updated and expanded version of that work,” Buchanan said.
Because Vesta has a geology similar to that of Earth, scientists have been eager to study its composition.
Researchers at NASA launched the Dawn Mission, in September 2007, to photograph Vesta and provide answers about the conditions and processes of our solar system’s earliest epoch. Dawn, a robotic spacecraft, will travel to Vesta which lies inside the asteroid belt, roughly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Although Dawn was launched two years ago, it will not reach Vesta until July 2011.
In the meantime, members of the international group called the Meteoritical Society met July 13-18, in Nancy, France to discuss the Dawn Mission and other planetary topics. The group boasts 950 scientists and amateur enthusiasts from more than 33 countries.
“I traveled to Nancy, which is between the Champagne region and Alsace,” Buchanan explained.
“I was asked to speak during a special session on Vesta for about 15 minutes and then I answered questions for another three. I’ve been attending the meetings since the late ‘80s and this is quite a specialized group, so I felt it was important to be there to represent my work.”
Buchanan is no stranger to world travel having lived and worked in Johannesburg, South Africa; Vienna, Austria; Tokyo, Japan; and Berlin, Germany.
His KC office walls are lined with African art, masks and baskets. Colorful rocks and gemstones sit on window ledges and Japanese manga toys line the tops of file cabinets.
“I enjoyed my time in Japan. I was a member of a mushroom hunting club and we would search for different varieties found on the slopes of Mt. Fuji and in the deserted village of Odaira-juku,” Buchanan said.
“Another time I remember an earthquake hitting when I was in my apartment in Tokyo. The seismic waves were causing the small room to shake and the pendant light suspended from the ceiling was rocking like a metronome.”
He picks up a rock that he found during one part of his ongoing research at the Bushveld Complex in South Africa.
“We discovered that the rocks that some thought were the result of impact were actually of tectonic origin,” Buchanan said.
It seems every object in his office is a catalyst to recalling important memories.
Buchanan smooths a copy of his paper on “Foreign Materials In Polymict Breccias From Vesta.”
“We’ve just edited the final proofs of a paper about the manner in which light reflects off the surface of Vesta. We’ve developed a new set of equations to determine the minerals on the surface based on this reflective light,” Buchanan explains.
“This should help when the data from the Dawn Mission are analyzed.”
Geology students at KC appreciate Buchanan’s extensive experience.
“I like him because he makes geology interesting. He uses personal examples, from all his travels, that bring the subject to life,” said Lora Patton, East Mountain sophomore.
Alden Curnutt, Marshall sophomore, has chosen Buchanan as his instructor for both of his science requirements.
“Dr. Buchanan has opened himself to so many opportunities outside of merely sitting in a classroom, that his teaching style has become a rich mixture of experience and culture that laces his material,” Curnutt said.
\\ Crystal Gable, Staff writer
Dr. Buchanan seems to be a interesting person within himself. It shows in his work also. Good coverage in getting both these points across Crystal.
Very Interesting