As a planetary scientist and Flagstaff local, Dr. Barlow collaborated frequently with USGS Astrogeology scientists. Several Astrogeology scientists took her classes in NAU’s Physics and Astronomy department, and she was a good friend to many in Flagstaff’s planetary science community. Dr. Barlow passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer. 

 “Dr. Barlow was responsible for numerous scientific discoveries that significantly advanced our understanding of Mars erosion history, impact crater ejecta dynamics, and crater excavation physics, as well as producing the first global Martian impact craters catalog in the late 1990s. Nadine developed a crater morphologic classification system in 2000 that has been the standard for a quarter century,” said Dr. Joseph Boyce, of the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Dr. Boyce initiated the process to name a crater for Dr. Barlow by submitting a name proposal to the USGS Astrogeology Planetary Nomenclature team. 

USGS Astrogeology Remembers Nadine Barlow

From 1998 to 2020, Dr. Barlow was instrumental in organizing an annual scientific meeting at USGS Astrogeology that brought together planetary scientists and students interested in all aspects of impact cratering throughout the solar system for in-depth discussions of crater-related issues and research topics to enhance research collaborations. This annual meeting, known as the Mars Crater Consortium between 1998 and 2009 and as the Planetary Crater Consortium (PCC) from 2010 onward, was attended by several Astrogeology team members since its inception.

Dr. Lillian Ostrach, USGS Astrogeology Acting Associate Science Center Director and Chair of the PCC Nomenclature Subcommittee, said “Nadine Barlow had a lasting commitment to students. I first met Nadine when I attended the PCC meeting as a graduate student at ASU. Her generous and honest encouragement fostered critical community development and collaboration within this small niche of planetary science.”

“Before the more recent push for open science and open data, Nadine and her colleagues, Dr. David Roddy (USGS) and Dr. Joseph Boyce, motivated the community to publicly release several disparate Martian crater catalogues. The team also endeavored to integrate these different databases, supporting the need to initiate the original Mars Crater Consortium and to promote the need to standardize on a single crater classification system.   I was always impressed with her willingness to freely share her data and her expertise with peers and students alike," remembered Trent Hare, USGS Astrogeology cartographer. 

Jim Skinner, USGS Astrogeology Supervisory Geologist, noted “Nadine was not only a special scientist for cratering processes and landforms but also a good friend to so many of us at USGS and in the planetary science community. Her warmth and laughter are missed, and I appreciate that the IAU has elected to name an impact crater after our friend and colleague.”

Dr. Ken Herkenhoff, retired Research Geologist with Astrogeology, said “In addition to her scientific contributions, Nadine was friendly and easy to talk with.  She was one of my favorite colleagues and I feel lucky to have known her.”

Dr. Lori Pigue, Astrogeology Physical Scientist, reflects on her entrance into Planetary Science because of Nadine’s work to broaden collaborations. “I joined the NAU Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science under Dr. Barlow’s leadership and entered right into research with the USGS through a partnership with NAU and Astrogeology. I don’t think I would be in my position if I hadn’t been able to explore this career path and work with this program so early in my career, which was a direct result of the work Nadine put in with the USGS and other collaborators.” The PhD program was in its infancy when (now Dr.) Pigue was accepted, and her background with the USGS as an undergraduate made her an ideal candidate to test the new partnership with the USGS. 

Amber Gullikson, a geologist with Astrogeology, was a graduate student at Northern Arizona University when she took her first class with Nadine. “Nadine taught my first planetary class as a graduate student. She was a wonderful professor that brought kindness and enthusiasm into the classroom every day. I have always considered Nadine’s dedication to and support for students in planetary science inspiring, and having an impact crater on Mars share her name is a wonderful way to commemorate her among other great planetary scientists.” 

USGS Astrogeology’s Planetary Nomenclature Team Facilitates IAU Name Approval

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Since the 1980s, the USGS Astrogeology Science Center’s Planetary Nomenclature team has managed the database of official solar system nomenclature and facilitated the planetary feature name proposal and review process between planetary scientists and the IAU. 

“When we needed an official name for an unnamed Martian impact crater mentioned in a paper we were preparing, we contacted Tenielle Gaither (USGS) for help,” said Dr. Boyce.

Tenielle Gaither, geologist and project lead for Planetary Nomenclature, helped Dr. Boyce develop the nomenclature proposal, submitted it to the IAU’s Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature for review and approval, and entered the approved name into the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature’s database. 

“Nadine was a mentor to me as an NAU undergraduate participant in the NAU/NASA Space Grant program. The addition of the name Barlow to solar system nomenclature is the perfect way to commemorate her lasting impact on planetary science,” said Gaither.

For more information, please see the Barlow feature name page in the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, which provides access to the database of over 16,000 IAU-approved planetary feature names. 

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