Graduate Students

I am a  Ph.D. candidate studying under Dr. Juliane Gross. I am interested in the mineralogy and petrology of lunar samples in order to better understand the Moon's geologic evolution. Currently, my research focuses on lunar basaltic meteorites and how we can use these samples to track the dynamics and evolution of magmas of late-stage lunar volcanism (see Madera et al., 2023 below). I combine this with remote sensing and data science as a multidisciplinary approach to discerning potential source regions of lunar samples from the lunar surface in an attempt to provide meteorites with geologic context (see Madera & Gross, 2021; Madera & Gross, 2022 below).  

In my research, I use the analytical isntrumentation electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass-spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) - particulary, electron backscattered difraction  (EBSD), and micro fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (micro-FTIR).

For programming and data analysis, I am proficient in the python programming language and am currently developing data-reduction notebooks for EPMA analyses (coming soon). For geospatial analysis, I have experience using ArcMap, ESRI's ArcGISPro, and USGS ISIS, as well as the python geospatial and informatics (GIS) packages Rasterio, GDAL, and GeoPandas. 

Abstracts:

Madera, A., Gross, J., & Fagan, A. L. (2023). Sector-zoned pyroxene in young lunar mare basalt Northwest Africa (NWA) 8632: Insights into crystallization kinetics during late-stage volcanism on the Moon. 86^th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, #6053

Madera, A., & Gross, J. (2022). Lunar-Sample-Provenance (LSP) Program: Determining the Potential Source Regions of Lunar Basaltic Meteorites. 53^nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, #2823

Madera, A., & Gross, J. (2021). Provenance of Lunar Basaltic Meteorite Northwest Africa 8632 and Related Meteorites. 52^nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, #2686