Clive Neal

Research Interests

Professor Neal's lunar research consists of three major thrusts: 1) Lunar Petrology: Research in this area is examination of melt rocks, both natural basalts and impact melts. Current projects include examining the Apollo 17 samples that are only now being opened, exploring the mechanical properties of lunar regolith for high traffic areas around a lunar outpost, and the study of lunar and martian meteorites. 2) Lunar Geophysics: Professor Neal is the Principal Investigator on a proposal to NASA to send four landers to the lunar surface, each carrying a sophisticated geophysical instrument package, to explore the interior of the Moon on a global scale. 3) Examination of Supervolcanoes on Earth. Eruptions of such volcanoes are not in the human experience but they can have global consequences. The goal of this research is to examine the origin, evolution, and environmental impact of such eruptions.