Menu
Hi, I'm

Kara Brugman

Experimental Petrologist

More About Me
About Kara

Paid to make rocks, shoot ion beams at rocks, and go to amazing places to sledgehammer rocks.

Profile Picture

I am interested in magma genesis and volatile solubility on exoplanets, Earth, and solar system bodies, the timescales of events in magmatic systems, geothermometry, volcano science and hazards, high-silica magmatic systems, and how our planet's volcanologic and petrologic mechanisms can be used to understand those on other planets and moons.

Profile

  • Name: Karalee K. Brugman
  • Hometown: Rural Township (seriously), IL
  • Interests: Food, board games, cute things, caves, sci-fi, & other assorted nerdery
  • Favorite Hikes: Brown's Peak (Four Peaks), AZ Angel's Landing, Zion N.P. Elephant Canyon to Druid Arch, Canyonlands N.P. Picacho Peak, AZ Havasupai, Grand Canyon N.P.
  • The Best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, IMO

Composition [wt%]

  • 20%
    Tea
  • 25%
    Snacks
  • 10%
    Bouldering chalk
  • 15%
    Cat videos
  • 30%
    Star Trek
Research & Education

CV At A Glance

My current research projects use experimental petrology to study exoplanet surfaces and use diffusion chronometry to examine timescales of effusive eruptions at Yellowstone.

Research

Exoplanet partial melting experiments

2015–current

End-Loaded Piston-Cylinder, EPMA

Experimental determination of crust compositions and anhydrous solidi of rocky planets orbiting other stars.

Part of ASU-NExSS

Yellowstone diffusion chronometry

2014–current

NanoSIMS, SIMS, EPMA, Python, LA-ICP-MS

Development of a new diffusion chronometry method to compare pre-eruptive timescales from Fe-rich clinopyroxene to timescales from other minerals. This project examines the last events recorded by minerals in the Scaup Lake flow, a Yellowstone post-caldera rhyolite.

Cpx-liquid geothermometer

2017–2019

Cold-Seal Pressure Vessel, EPMA

Development of a new clinopyroxene-liquid geothermometer specifically calibrated for the low-Al, high-Fe clinopyroxene found in high-silica igneous systems.

Brugman, K.K., and Till, C.B. (2019) A low-aluminum clinopyroxene-liquid geothermometer for high-silica magmatic systems. American Mineralogist, 104, 996–1004, 10.2138/am-2019-6842.

Education

Ph.D: Geological Sciences

May 2020

Arizona State University, Tempe

Dissertation: Timescales and Characteristics of Magma Generation in Earth and Exoplanets

B.Sc: Geological Sciences, minor in Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences

May 2014

University of Colorado, Boulder

Honors thesis: Understanding the History of Arabia Terra, Mars Through Crater-Based Tests

Contact Download CV
Publications

Read My Research

Journal Articles

  1. Brugman, K.K. and Till, C.B. (2019) A Low-Aluminum Clinopyroxene-Liquid Geothermometer for High-Silica Magmatic Systems. American Mineralogist, 104(7), 996–1004, 10.2138/am-2019-6842.
  2. Till, C.B., M.E. Pritchard, C.A. Miller, K.K. Brugman, J. Ryan-Davis, 2018. Super-volcanic Investigations. Nature Geoscience, 11(4), 10.1038/s41561-018-0100-1.
  3. Hynek, B.M., T.M. McCollum, E.C. Marcucci, K.K. Brugman, K.L. Rogers, 2013. Assessment of environmental controls on acid-sulfate alteration at active volcanoes in Nicaragua: Applications to relic hydrothermal systems on Mars, Journal of Geophysical Research—Planets, Special Issue: Early Mars, 118, 2083–2104, 10.1002/jgre.20140.

* invited # talk

Conference Abstracts

  1. #Brugman, K.K., Phillips, M.G., and Till, C.B. (2020). Exoplanet Crust Compositions as Determined by Petrological Experiments. Exoplanets in Our Backyard, Houston, TX.
  2. Brugman, K.K., Phillips, M.G., and Till, C.B., 2019. Experimental Determination of Rocky Exoplanet Crust Compositions. EOS AGU Fall Meeting Abstract, San Francisco, CA.
  3. #Brugman, K.K. and Till, C.B., 2019. New clinopyroxene-liquid geothermometer indicates a broad crystallization interval for low-Al clinopyroxene in high-silica magmatic systems. GSA Annual Meeting abstract 337075, Phoenix, AZ.
  4. *# Brugman, K.K., Phillips, M.G., and Till, C.B., 2019. Stars to Planets: Experimental Determination of Exoplanet Mantle Solidi and Crust Compositions. Goldschmidt, Barcelona, Spain.
  5. Brugman, K.K., C.B. Till, 2018.Clinopyroxene-Liquid Thermometry Hints at Cold Storage for High-Silica Systems. IAVCEI Commission on Collapse Calderas: VII International Workshop on Collapse Calderas, Toba Caldera, Sumatra, Indonesia.
  6. Brugman, K.K., C.B. Till, 2018. A Revised Low-Al Clinopyroxene-Liquid Geothermometer for High-Silica Igneous Systems. EOS AGU Chapman: Merging Geophysical, Petrochronologic, and Modeling Perspectives of Large Silicic Magma Systems, Abstract P-28, Quinamávida, Maule Region, Chile.
  7. *#Brugman, K.K., C.B. Till, 2017. Taking Yellowstone's Temperature: A New Clinopyroxene Geothermometer to Improve Timescales of Pre-Eruptive Events. EOS AGU Fall Meeting Abstract U13B-03, New Orleans, LA.
  8. Brugman, K.K., C.B. Till, 2017. A Revised Clinopyroxene-Liquid Geothermometer for Silicic Igneous Systems with Applications to Diffusion Chronometry of the Scaup Lake Rhyolite, Yellowstone Caldera, WY. EOS AGU Fall Meeting Abstract V11C-0365, New Orleans, LA.
  9. Brugman, K.K., C.B. Till, 2017. Investigation of the Applicability of Clinopyroxene Geothermometers to Silicic Igneous Systems. IAVCEI Scientific Assembly Abstract ME43C-044, Portland, OR.
  10. #Brugman, K.K., C.B. Till, M. Bose, 2016. Clinopyroxene Diffusion Chronometry of the Scaup Lake Rhyolite, Yellowstone Caldera, WY. EOS AGU Fall Meeting Abstract V13F-02, San Francisco, CA. Recipient of an AGU Outstanding Student Paper Award
  11. Brugman, K.K., C.B. Till, M. Bose and R. Hervig, 2015. Development of Clinopyroxene as an Igneous Geospeedometer Using NanoSIMS. EOS AGU Fall Meeting Abstract V31B-3030, San Francisco, CA.
  12. Brugman, K.K., B.M. Hynek, S.J. Robbins, 2015. Crater-based tests unlock the mystery of the origin and evolution of Arabia Terra, Mars. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, The Woodlands, TX.
#SciComm

Media & Outreach

I talked about my exoplanet experiments and 'Star Trek: Picard' on the 'Strange New Worlds' science and Trek podcast
| Listen to Episode 89: Strange New Melts |

Where in the world is Kara?

Recent & Upcoming Events

  • April 2020: Ph.D defense — Tempe, AZ
  • March 2020: The Wave — Coyote Buttes, AZ
  • February 2020: Exoplanets in Our Backyard — Houston, TX
  • December 2019: AGU Fall Meeting — San Francisco, CA
  • September 2019: GSA Annual Meeting — Phoenix, AZ
  • August, 2019: Goldschmidt — Barcelona, Spain

2

Projects in Progress

4

Lab Assistants Trained

10

Awards Received

100

Ideas That Went Nowhere

99999

Cups of Tea

15000

Hours Worked
Contact

I'd Love To Hear From You!

Currently

School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE)
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

Email Me

kara [dot] brugman [at] gmail [dot] com
kara [dot] brugman [at] asu [dot] edu