PUBLICATIONS AND TALKS

Bowen, B.B., and Benison, K.C., 2009, Geochemical characteristics of naturally acid and alkaline saline lakes in southern Western Australia: Applied Geochemistry, v. 24, p. 268-284.

Jagniecki, E.A. and Benison, K.C., in revision, Criteria for the recognition of acid-precipitated halite: Sedimentology.

Mormile, M.R., Hong, B.-y., and Benison, K.C., Molecular analysis of the microbial communities of Mars analog lakes in Western Australia: Astrobiology, v. 9, p. 919-930. (Astract)

Benison, K.C., 2008, Life and death around acid-saline lakes: Palaios, v.23, p. 571-573.

Benison, K.C., Jagniecki, E.A., Edwards, T.B., Mormile, M.R., and Storrie-Lombardi, M.C., 2008, "Hairy blobs": Microbial suspects from modern and ancient ephemeral acid saline evaporites: Astrobiology, v. 8, n. 4, p. 807-821..

Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F., Story, S., and Mormile, M., 2008, Active hematite concretion formation in modern acid saline lake sediments, Lake Brown, Western Australia: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 268, p. 52-63.

Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E, Jagniecki, E.A., LaClair, D.A., Story, S.L., Mormile, M.R., and Hong., B.y, 2007, Sedimentology of Acid Saline Lakes in Southern Western Australia: Newly Described Processes and Products of an Extreme Environment, v. 77, p. 366-388.

Mormile, M.R., Hong, B-y., Adams, N.T., Benison, K.C., and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., 2007, Characterization of moderately halo-acidophilic bacterium isolated from Lake Brown, Western Australia: in, Hoover, R.B., Levin, G.V., Rozanov, A.Y., and Davies, P.C. (eds.), Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology X, Proceedings of SPIE (The International Society for Optical Engineering), v. 66940X, p. 1-8; doi: 10.1117/12.732741.

Benison, K.C. and Bowen, B.B., 2006, Acid saline lake systems give clues about past environments and the search for life on Mars: Icarus, v. 183, p. 225-229.

Benison, K.C. and LaClair, D.A., 2003, Modern and ancient extremely acid saline deposits: Terrestrial analogs for Martian environments?: Astrobiology, v. 3, n. 3, p. 609-618.

Schaefer, M. W., Dyar, M. D., and Benison, K. C., 2003, Moessbauer spectroscopy of Mars-analog rocks from an acid saline sedimentary environment: NASA Technical Report 20030111385, Goddard Space Flight Center.

Benison, K.C. and Goldstein, R.H., 2002, Recognizing acid lakes and groundwaters in the rock record: Sedimentary Geology, v. 151, n. 3-4, p. 177-185.

Benison, K.C., 2008, Petrography reveals that acid-precipitated halite and gypsum preserve small fossils well: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Houston, TX

Benison, K.C., and Bowen, B.B., 2008, Sulfur, sulfates, and fossils in acid saline deposits in Western Australia and Chile: Clues for understanding Mars: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Houston, TX

Bowen, B.B., Bell, J., Benison, K.C., Story, S., 2008, Spectral Properties of Chemical Sediments in Modern Acid Saline Lakes and Implications for Mars: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Houston, TX.

Bowen, B.B. and Benison, K.C., 2008, Sulfate mineral assemblages from Mars-analog environments I: Indicators of general environmental conditions: Program with Abstracts, Goldschmidt Conference, Vancouver, Canada.

Benison, K.C. and Bowen, B.B., 2008, Sulfate mineral assemblages from Mars-analog environments II: Indicators of specific environmental conditions: Program with Abstracts, Goldschmidt Conference, Vancouver, Canada.

Benison, K.C., 2008, Fluid inclusions on Mars?: Clues from terrestrial acid saline minerals: Proceedings of the Ninth Biennial Pan American Current Research on Fluid Inclusions, Reston, VA.

Jagniecki, E.A. and Benison, K.C., 2008, Freezing/melting phase behaviors in acid fluid inclusions in halite: Proceedings of the Ninth Biennial Pan American Current Research on Fluid Inclusions, Reston, VA.

Benison, K.C., 2008, Petrography reveals that acid-precipitated halite and gypsum preserve small fossils well: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Houston, TX

Benison, K.C., and Bowen, B.B., 2008, Sulfur, sulfates, and fossils in acid saline deposits in Western Australia and Chile: Clues for understanding Mars: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Houston, TX

Bowen, B.B., Bell, J., Benison, K.C., Story, S., 2008, Spectral Properties of Chemical Sediments in Modern Acid Saline Lakes and Implications for Mars: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Houston, TX.

Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., Foster, R.M., Jagniecki, E.A., LaClair, D.A., Walker, J., Gonzalez, M.M., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Sirbescu, M.C., Student, J.J., Story, S.L., Hong,B.-y., Mormile, M.R., Storrie-Lombardi, M., And Johnson, S.S., 2007, Field observations and lab tests of acid brines: Implications for past deposition, diagenesis, erosion, and life on Mars: Seventh International Conference on Mars, Pasadena, CA, abstract 3376.

Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., and Mormile, M.R., 2007, Hematite concretions from modern acid saline lake sediments as geochemical and astrobiological tombs: Seventh International Conference on Mars, Pasadena, CA, abstract 3175.

Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., and Chan, M.A., 2007, How to make a martian sedimentary rock: Diversity in terrestrial processes leading to Mars analog features: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO., Paper No. 103-10.

Hong, B-y., Adams, N.T., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E, Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., and Mormile, M.R., 2007, Traditional and molecular analysis of the microbial community of Lake Brown, Western Australia: A possible Mars analog: American Society for Microbiology 107th General Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

Jagniekci, E.A., Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., Mormile, M.R., and Tecklenburg, M., 2007, Petrographic differences between acid and neutral halites: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Paper No. 160-6.

Mormile, M.R., Hong B., Adams, N., Benison, K.C., and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., 2007, Characterization of a moderately halo-acidophilic bacterium isolated from Lake Brown, Western Australia: SPIE (The international Society for Optical Engineering) Optics and Photonics Meeting. San Diego, CA, paper 6604-33.

Story, S.L., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Benison, K.C., and Bowen, B.B., 2007, Detecting paleolimnological and environmental changes in modern hypersaline lakes in Australia using palynology: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, Paper No. 160-15.

Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Story, S.L., Jagniecki, E.A., Mormile, M.R., Hong, B., and LaClaire, D. 2006, Varied and unusual sediments and diagenetic features in shallow cores from modern acid saline lakes in Western Australia and Victoria: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Paper No. 28-2.

Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., Jagniecki, E., Mormile, M.R., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Hong, B., and Story, S.L., 2006, Acid saline lake systems hold clues to the search of life on Mars: 2006 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, 16-20 February, St. Louis, MO

Bowen, B.B. and Benison, K.C., 2006, Chemical diversity of natural waters in the acid saline systems of south Western Australia: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, v. 38, n. 7, abstract. 108332. Paper No 37-5.

Foster, R.M. and Benison, K.C., 2006, Acid saline weathering experiments using acid lake host rocks from Western Australia: preliminary results: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Paper No. 206-13.

Hong, B-y., Christiansen, J.M., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E, Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., and Mormile, M.R., 2006, Microbial diversity found in the acid saline lakes of Australia: Abstracts, American Society for Microbiology 106th General Meeting, Orlando, FL, N-089, p. 388.

Jagniecki, E.A., Benison, K.C., and Bowen, B.B., 2006, Can acid fluid inclusions in halite be detected by freezing/melting behavior?: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA

Jagniecki, E.A., Benison, K.C., and Bowen, B.B., 2006, Fluid Inclusion freezing/melting behavior in acid lake halite, Western Australia: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society America Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Paper No. 206-12.

Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Story, S.L., Mormile, M.R., Hong, B., Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., and Jagniecki, E.A., 2006, Palynological Signals in Extreme Lake Environments in Australia: American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO.

Story, S.L., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Benison, K.C., Mormile, M.R., Bowen, B.B., Hong, B., and Jagniecki, E.A., 2006,a Using palynology to interpret lake sediments in Western Australia: Abstracts with Programs, American Society of Microbiology Regional Annual Meeting, Kansas City

Story, S., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., and Mormile, M.R., 2006b, Acid hypersaline lakes in southern Western Australia: Preliminary palynological interpretations: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, abstract 107475. Paper No. 105-6.

Story, S.L., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Benison, K.C., Mormile, M.R., Bowen, B.B., Hong, B., and Jagniecki, E., 2006a, Palynomorph and organic matter preservation in extreme lake environments, Western Australia: Missouri Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Kirksville, April 21-22. (Clayton Johnson Best Graduate Student Paper Award, 2nd Place, Geology and Geophisics Section)

Story, S.L., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Benison, K.C., Mormile, M.R., Bowen, B.B., Hong, B., and Jagniecki, E., 2006b, Using palynology to interpret lake sediments in Western Australia: American Society for Microbiology Regional Meeting, Kansas City, Missouri, April 7-8. (Best Graduate Student Paper Award, 2nd Place)

Story, S.L., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Benison, K.C., Mormile, M.R., Bowen, B.B., Hong, B., and Jagniecki, E., 2006, Linking palynology with geomicrobial data in modern acidic and neutral hypersaline lakes of Western Australia: Preliminary field observations: Palynology, v. 30, p. 228-229.

Benison, K.C., Mormile, M.R., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Bowen, B.B., Hong, B., Jagniecki, E.A., and Story, S.J., 2005, Modern microbial life in saline lakes and pans in Australia: A field perspective: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT. Paper No. 52-12, v. 37, n. 7, p. 124.

Benison, K.C., Bowen, B.B., Mormile, M.R. and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., 2005, Acid saline lakes in Australia: Clues to past environments and life at Meridian Planum, Mars? Program and Abstracts, 9th International Society for Salt Lake Research Meeting, Perth, Australia, p. 5.

Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., Mormile, M.R., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., 2005, Preliminary geology, geochemistry, and biology of acid saline lakes in Western Australia and Victoria: 9th Conference, International Society for Salt Lake Research, Perth, Australia.

Bowen, B.B., Benison, K.C., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., and Mormile, M.R., 2005, Hypersaline acid lakes in southwestern Australia as depositional and early diagenetic analogs for the Burns Formation on Mars: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT Paper No. 249-12, v. 37, n. 7, p. 546.

Jagniecki, E.A., Benison, K.C., and Mormile, M.R., 2005, "Hairy blobs": Microbial suspects in halite and gypsum from acid saline lakes: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (won Best Student Poster Award)

Jagnieki, E.A., Benison, K.C. and Mormile, M.R., 2005, "Hairy Blobs": Microbial suspects in halite and gypsum from acid saline lakes: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, v. 37, n. 7, p. 298-299. (1st Place, Austin A. Sartin Best Student Poster Award)

Mormile, M.R., Benison, K.C., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., and Bowen, B.B., 2005, Microbial life in saline lakes and pans: A microbiologists perspective: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT Paper No. 52-11, v. 37, n. 7, p. 124.

Story, S.L., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., Benison, K.C., Mormile, M.R., Bowen, B.B., Hong, B., and Jagniecki, E.A., 2005, Linking palynology with geomicrobiology or modern acidic and neutral hypersaline lakes in Western Australia: Preliminary field observations: Abstracts with Program, American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO.

Benison, K.C., 2004, Ancient and modern non-volcanic acid saline lakes: How do they compare to volcanic acid lakes?: Proceedings of the 6th Conference on Volcanic Lakes, Caviahue, Argentina.

Benison, K.C., 2003, Not all saline lakes are alkaline: the story of four acid saline lake systems: Proceedings of the Third International Limnogeological Congress, Tucson, AZ.

Benison, K.C. and LaClair, D.A., 2002, Acid sedimentary environments on Mars?: Possible terrestrial analogs: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, v. 34, n. 6, p. 174.

Benison, K.C., Hein, M.C., and LaClair, D.A., 2001, Comparative sedimentology applied to extremely Acidic saline systems: Abstracts with Programs, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, p. A452, v. 33, n. 6, p. 452.

Benison, K.C., 2008, Going to Mars?... Or Western Australia? DonŐt drink the water: Modern and ancient acid saline lakes: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Benison, K.C., 2007, Going to Mars?... Or Western Australia? DonŐt drink the water: Modern and ancient acid saline lakes: Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Benison, K.C., 2007, Going to Mars?... Or Western Australia? DonŐt drink the water: Modern and ancient acid saline lakes: Department of Earth, Atmospheric, & Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Benison, 2007, Using Chemistry in Geology: Understanding extreme environments: American Chemical Society Student Chapter, Central Michigan University.

Benison, K.C., 2007, Acid Trips and Martian Channels, Quaternary Research Center, University of Washington.

Oboh-Ikuenobe, F.E., 2007, Palynology of Hypersaline Lakes in Australia: School of Geology, Oklahoma State University.

Benison, K.C., 2005, Terrestrial battery acid and cranberry juice lakes and what they tell us about Martian paleoenvironments: Michigan Basin Geological Society.

Benison, K.C., 2005, terrestrial battery acid and cranberry juice lakes and what they tell us about Martian paleoenvironmetns: Department of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies, State University of New York at Binghamton.

Mormile, M.R., 2005, Microbial Diversity in Saline Lakes: Possible Martian Analogs? Department of Microbiology, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah.

Jagniecki, Elliot, 2008, "Biological and chemical characterization of fluid inclusions in acid lake halite from Western Australia"; geology senior thesis project, Central Michigan University

Hong, B-y., 2007, Microbial Ecology of Hypersaline Lakes in Western Australia and Victoria, Australia.Ę Unpublished M.S. Thesis, University of Missouri-Rolla, 86 p.

Renee Foster, 2007, "Weathering experiments with acid saline waters: Investigating the role of rock type and evaporation on acid water geochemistry"; geology senior thesis project, Central Michigan University.

Story, S.L., 2007, Palynology of Hypersaline Lakes in Western Australia. Unpublished M.S. University of Missouri-Rolla, 137 p.

St. Louis Science Center exhibit "Extreme Environments", featuring acid saline lakes in Australia
Ecology & Environment

1/21/10: AstroBiology Magazine Website, Extreme Life; "Microbial Life in Mars Analog Lakes"
http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/3378/microbial-life-in-mars-analog-lakes

6/15/08: New Scientist magazine, "Hairy blobs found in an acidic hell"
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/ns-hbf060408.php

6/04/08: io9 Astrobiology website, "Hairy Blobs Discovered in Acidic Lake Could Have Evolved on Mars"
http://io9.com/5013254/hairy-blobs-discovered-in-acidic-lake-could-have-evolved-on-mars

2/2007: WCMU Public Television, "Inside Central".

10/21/2005: KUMR (now KMST) Public Radio interview, "Technofiles" - Western Australian hypersaline acid lakes as martian analogs
http://podcast.mst.edu/2005/TechnoFilesOct2005.mp3

3/29/04: The Baltimore Sun, "A Martian landscape on Earth" (*note* The abstract is free, but there is a fee for the full article)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/balte.ms.lakes29mar29,0,1431559.story?coll=balhealth

3/15/04: Newsweek and MSNBC webpage, "Visiting Mars? Don't drink the water"
http://www.keepmedia.com/ShowItemDetails.do;jsessionid=alnTQTRA0qLg?item_id=391497

5/03/04: Geotimes, "Martian field trips on Earth"
http://www.geotimes.org/may03/feature_analog.html

10/30/02: Space.com, "Earth-based analogs of Mars offer insight into the red planet"
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mars_earth_021030.html