Horton Newsom (In Memoriam)
March 2, 1952 – April 19, 2024
Research and Academic Interests:
Horton Elwood Newsom was born on 2 March 1952 in Oakland, California, USA. While there were numerous subjects that Horton read and studied, it was space exploration and moon launches that captured his attention and led him to study geology at the University of California at Berkeley. Horton earned his Ph.D. in geosciences at University of Arizona in 1982. His dissertation focused on the experimental geochemistry of two siderophile elements (W, P) and their implications for understanding core formation in differentiated planetary bodies.
For 40 years, Dr. Newsom worked as a senior research scientist and research professor within the Institute of Mete oritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of New Mexico. He was a geologist and geochemist with expertise in the origin and composition of the Earth and moon and the study of terrestrial impact craters around the world and their hydrothermal systems. He studied surface processes on Mars, including impact craters, sedimentary deposits, and phyllosilicate (clay) bearing terrains as well as the origin and chemistry of Martian surficial materials.
Horton was involved with landing site selection for several Mars missions. He was a co-investigator and science team member on the ChemCam Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover and helped plan its science observations. Dr. Newsom was also a dedicated educator who mentored undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral scholars. He was active in NASA-funded educational outreach to K–12 teachers, local middle school and high school students, and Native American colleges.
The same depth that Horton had in science, he had in other aspects of his life. He was a student
in the American Tae Kwon Do Association (ATA) for 45 years and was proud to have achieved sixth-degree black belt and Master status. He shared his skills and empowered many Tae Kwon Do students with his unbridled enthusiasm and love of life over the decades that he led ATA clubs. Horton had a lot of energy. He enjoyed adventures outdoors, whether it was sailing, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, or volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America or doing trail maintenance.
A caring, loving man, Horton was devoted to family and friends. He passed away unexpectedly on 19 April 2024.
Dr. Newsom’s family has created the Horton Newsom Memorial to fund a graduate student’s research in planetary science and educational outreach. Donations can be made at this UNM Foundation Donation Page.
In May 2025, NASA Researchers honored Newsom by designating a wind-sculpted landform on Mars as "Horton Newsom Point." The eolian landform is part of the Martian Yardang Unit, which is slated for exploration later this decade by the Mars Curiosity Rover. Read more about this honor in this UNM Newsroom article.
Recent Publications:
Newsom, H.E., Hagerty, J.J., and Thorsos, I.E. (2001) Location and sampling of aqueous and hydrothermal deposits in Martian impact craters, Astrobiology, 1, 71-88.
Stoker, C.R., Newsom, H.E. and 33 other co-authors, (2001) The 1999Marsokhod rover mission simulation at silver Lake California: Mission overview, data sets, and summary of results. J. Geophys. Res. (Planets), 106,. 7639-7663
Newsom, H.E., Bishop, J.L., Cockell, C., Roush, T.L., Johnson, J.R. (2001) The search for life on Mars in surface samples, lessons from the 1999 Marsokhod rover field experiment. J. Geophys. Res. (Planets), 106, 7713-7720.
Mahaney, W.C., Dohm, J.M., Baker, V.R., Newsom, H.E., Malloch, D., Hancock, R.G.V., Campbell, I., Sheppard, D., and Milner, M.W. (2001) Morphogenesis of Antarctic Paleosols, Icarus, 15, 113-130.
Schuerger., A.C., Ming, D.W., Newsom, H.E., Ferl, R.J., and McKay, C.P. (2002) Near-term Lander Experiments for Growing Plants on Mars: Requirements for Information on Biological, Chemical, and Physical Properties of Mars Regolith, Life Support & Biosphere Science, 8(3/4):137-147
Hagerty, J.J., and Newsom, H.E. (2003) Hydrothermal alteration at the Lonar Lake impact structure, India: implications for impact cratering on Mars. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 38, 365-381.
Newsom, H.E., Barber, C.A., Hare, T.M., Schelble, R.T., Sutherland, V.A. and Feldman, W.C., (2003) Paleo-lakes and impact basins in Sinus Meridiani, Mars, implications for the formation of hematite deposits, J. Geophys. Res. (Planets), ROV 16, 1-12 (DOI 10.1029/2002JE001993).
Cabrol, N. A., Newsom, H.E. et al., (2003) Exploring Gusev crater with MER A: Review of Science Objectives and Testable Hypotheses", J. Geophys. Res. (Planets), ROV 17, 1-21 (DOI 10.1029/2002JE002026).
Nelson, M.J., Newsom, H.E., and Draper, D.S (2005) Incipient hydrothermal alteration of basalts and the origin of martian soil, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 69, 2701-2711.
Beaty, D.W., S.M. Clifford, L.E. Borg, D. Catling, R.A. Craddock, D.J. Des Marais, J.D. Farmer, H.V. Frey, R.M. Haberle, C.P. McKay, H.E. Newsom, T.J. Parker, T. Segura and K.L. Tanaka (2005) Key Science Questions from the Second Conference on Early Mars: Geologic, Hydrologic, and Climatic Evolution and the Implications for Life, Astrobiology, Vol. 5, No. 6: 663-689.
Thompson, J.R., R.C. Wiens, J. E. Barefield, D.T. Vaniman, H.E. Newsom, S. M. Clegg (2006) Remote Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Analyses of DaG 476 and Zagami Martian Meteorites, J. Geophysical Research (Planets) 111, E5006 (DOI 10.1029/2005JE002578).
Beaty, D.W.; Buxbaum, K.L.; Meyer, M.A.; Barlow, N.G.; Boynton, W.V.; Clark, B.C.; Deming, J.W.; Doran, P.T.; Edgett, K.S.; Hancock, S.L.; Head, J.W.; Hecht, M.H.; Hipkin, V.; Kieft, T.L.; Mancinelli, R.L.; McDonald, E.V.; McKay, C.P.; Mellon, M.T.; Newsom, H.E.; Ori, G.G.; Paige, D.A.; Schuerger, A.C.; Sogin, M.L.; Spry, J.A.; Steele, A.; Tanaka, K.L.; Voytek, M.A.; (2006). Findings of the Special Regions Science Analysis Group, Astrobiology Volume 6, Number 5, 677-732.
Newsom, H.E., Nelson, M.J., Shearer C.K. and Dressler B.O. (2006) Mobile element transport in the Yaxcopoil drill core by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 41, 1929-1945.
Newsom, H.E. (2007) Geochemical analogues and Martian meteorites, The Geology of Mars: Evidence from Earth-Based Analogues, Editor: Dr. Mary G. Chapman, Cambridge University Press, 400-423.
Keller, J. M.; Boynton, W. V.; Karunatillake, S.; Baker, V. R.; Dohm, J. M.; Evans, L. G.; Finch, M. J.; Hahn, B. C.; Hamara, D. K.; Janes, D. M.; Kerry, K. E.; Newsom, H.E.; Reedy, R. C.; Sprague, A. L.; Squyres, S. W.; Starr, R. D.; Taylor, G. J.; Williams, R. M. S. (2006)Equatorial and midlatitude distribution of chlorine measured by Mars Odyssey GRS Journal of Geophysical Research, 111, Issue E3, CiteID E03S0.
Newsom, H.E., Crumpler, L.S., Reedy R.C., Peterson M.T., Newsom G.C., Evans L.G., Taylor G.J., Keller J.M., Janes D.M., Boynton W.V., Kerry K.E. and Karunatillake S. (2007), Geochemistry of Martian soil and bedrock in mantled and less mantled terrains with gamma ray data from Mars Odyssey, Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, E03S12, doi:10.1029/2006JE002680.
Petersen, M.T., Newsom, H.E., Nelson, M.J., and Moore, D.M. (2007) Hydrothermal alteration in the Bosumtwi impact structure: Evidence from 2M1-muscovite alteration veins and fracture fillings, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 42, 655-666.
Karunatillake, S., J. M. Keller, S. W. Squyres, W. V. Boynton, J. Brückner, D. M. Janes, O. Gasnault, and H. E. Newsom (2007), Chemical compositions at Mars landing sites subject to Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer constraints, J. Geophys. Res., 112, E08S90, doi:10.1029/2006JE002859.
Boynton, W. V., G. J. Taylor, L. G. Evans, R. C. Reedy, R. Starr, D. M. Janes, K. E. Kerry, D. M. Drake, K. J. Kim, R. M. S. Williams, M. K. Crombie, J. M. Dohm, V. Baker, A. E. Metzger, S. Karunatillake, J. M. Keller, H. E. Newsom, J. R. Arnold, J. Bruckner, P. A. J. Englert, O. Gasnault, A. L. Sprague, I. Mitrofanov, S. W. Squyres, J. I. Trombka, L. d’Uston, H. Wänke, and D. K. Hamara et al. (2007), Concentration of H, Si, Cl, K, Fe, and Th in the low- and mid-latitude regions of Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 112, E12S99.
Counley, J. ; Wise, J.; Newsom, H.E. Asplund, S.; Ristvey, J. D. Jr.; and Wilkerson, S. B. (2008) Finding Meteorites after School. The After School Review, Spring 2008, p. 10-12.
Wiseman, S. M., Arvidson, R. E., Andrews-Hanna, J. C., Clark, R. N., Lanza, N. L., Des Marais, D., Marzo, G. A., Morris, R. V., Murchie, S. L., Newsom, H. E., Noe Dobrea, E. Z., Ollila, A. M., Poulet, F., Roush, T. L., Seelos, F. P., and Swayze, G. A., (2008). The transition from phyllosilicate-bearing to sulfate-rich deposits within Miyamoto crater in southern Sinus Meridiani, Mars. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L19204.
El Maarry, M.R., Gasnault, O, Toplis, M.J., Baratoux, D., Dohm, J.M., Newsom, H.E., Boynton W.V., Karunatillake, S. (2008) Gamma-ray constraints on the chemical composition of the martian surface in the Tharsis region: A signature of partial melting of the mantle? Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research Special issue: Tectonic and Volcanic History of the Tharsis Province, Mars, p. 116-122.
Misra S., Newsom, H.E., Shyam Prasad M., Geissman, J.W., Dube A. and Sengupta D. (2009) Geochemical evidence of the impactor for Lonar Crater, India: Solution to a century-old mystery, Meteoritics and Planetary Sciences, 44, 1001-1018.
Lanza, N.L., Meyer, G.A., Okubo, C., Newsom, H.E., and Wiens, R.C. (2009) Evidence for debris flow and shallow subsurface flow on Mars, Icarus, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.04.014.
Marzo, G. A., T. L. Roush, N. L. Lanza, P. C. McGuire, H. E. Newsom, A. M. Olilla, S. M. Wiseman (2009), Mineralogy of the inverted channel on the floor of Miyamoto Crater, Mars, Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L11204, doi:10.1029/2009GL038703.
Newsom, H.E., Lanza, N.L., Ollila, A.M., Wiseman, S.M., Roush, T.L., Marzo, G.A., Tornabene, L.L., Okubo, C.H., Osterloo, M.M., Hamilton, V.E., Crumpler, L.S. (2009) Evidence for inverted channel formation on the floor of Miyamoto crater, Mars, Icarus, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.03.030.
