MARISOL JUAREZ RIVERA

Earth and Planetary Sciences ‖ University of New Mexico ‖ mjuarez4@unm.edu

Research interests
Geobiology; astrobiology; biosignatures; biosedimentary processes; microfossils; microbialites;
taphonomy; diagenesis; hot springs
Education
2021-curr Postdoctoral Fellow, University of New Mexico
Earth and Planetary Sciences, PI: Tyler Mackey

2021 Ph.D., Arizona State University

Geological Sciences, School of Earth and Space Exploration
Dissertation: Multi-scale investigation of biosignature preservation and post-
depositional alteration in three siliceous hot springs.
Advisor: Jack D. Farmer

2015 M.S., University of California, Davis

Geology, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Master’s thesis: Recreating microbial ecosystems at the dawn of the Great
Oxidation Event
Advisor: Dawn Y. Sumner

2013 B.S., University of California, Davis

Geology, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Minors in Hydrology and Chicano Studies
Senior Thesis: Characterizing the morphology of Archean fenestrate
microbialites using Keck CAVES 3Dimensional software.
Advisor: Dr. Dawn Y. Sumner

Publications
Dissertation chapters:
Juarez Rivera, Marisol, Preservation of microfossils in an usual silica-carbonate hybrid hot
spring deposit in Lýsuhóll, Iceland (in prep)

Juarez Rivera, Marisol, The effects of silica diagenesis on biosignature retention in siliceous hot
springs at Puchuldiza, Chile (in prep)
Juarez Rivera, Marisol, Biosignature retention potential under acidic fumarole overprinting in
sinters at Gunnuhver (in prep)
Peer-reviewed:
Williams, A., Craft, K., Millan, M., Johnson, S., Knudson, C., Juarez Rivera, M., McAdam, A.,
Tobler, D., Skok, J.R., Fatty Acid Preservation in Recent, Inactive, and Relict Siliceous Sinter

Marisol Juarez Rivera CV page 1 of 5

Hot Spring Deposits in Iceland, with Implications for Organics Detection on Mars. (2020)
Astrobiology, 21(1), 60-82
Petryshyn, V., Juarez Rivera, M., Agić, H., Frantz, C. F., Corsetti, F. A., Tripati, A. E.
Stromatolites in Walker Lake (Nevada, Great Basin, USA) record climate and lake level changes
~35,000 years ago. (2015) Paleo3, 451, 140-151

Juarez Rivera M., Sumner Y. D. (2014) Unraveling the Three-dimensional Morphology of

Archean Fenestrae Microbialites. Journal of Paleontology, 88(4), 719-726

Invited Talks
2021 Georgia Institute of Technology, Planetary Science and Astrobiology seminar

Conference Presentations

2020 Juarez Rivera, M., Farmer, J.D. “Diagenetic modifications of filamentous microfossils
and associated organic matter in siliceous hot spring deposits from Puchuldiza, Chile”
Geological Society of America/ October 27, 2020
2020 Juarez Rivera, M., Farmer, J.D. “Biosignatures in the rock record and how to navigate
their biases” Invited talk, AZ Astrobiology conference/October 2, 2020
2020 Juarez Rivera, M., Farmer, J.D. “Taphonomic study of microfossils in a mixed silica-
travertine hot spring at Lýsuhóll, Iceland” abstract submitted to the AZ Astrobiology
conference. *Canceled due to CoVid-19
2019 Juarez Rivera, M., Farmer, J.D., Ruff, S. W., Skok, J.R. “Seeking Signs of Life Through
the Lens of Diagenesis in Siliceous Hot Spring Deposits” Poster presentation, Geological
Society of America meeting /September 2019
2019 Juarez Rivera, M., Farmer, J.D. “Biosignature preservation in a silica-carbonate mixed
mineralogy hot spring” Poster presentation, Astrobiology Science Conference /June2019
2019 Juarez Rivera, M., Hartnett, H. E. “Is oxygen supersaturation in Tempe Town Lake
mainly driven by abiotic processes?” Poster presentation, Central Arizona-Phoenix
Long-Term Ecological Research Program (CAP) symposium/January 2019
2016 Juarez Rivera, M., Sumner, Y. D. “Recreating Microbial Ecosystems of the Late
Archean” Oral presentation, Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog
Environments conference/May 2016/#2056/Lake Tahoe, NV
2014 Juarez Rivera, M., Agić, H., Ward, L., Kerrigan, Z., Petryshyn, V., Frantz, C., Tripati,
A., Corsetti, F., Spear, J., “Stromatolites provide a terrestrial record of a ~35 Ka
warming event in Walker Lake a remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan (Western
Nevada, USA)” Oral presentation, American Geophysical Union /December 17,
2014/San Francisco, California
2014 Agić, H.. Ward, L., Juarez Rivera, M., Kerrigan, Z., Petryshyn, V.A., Corsetti, F.A.,
Tripati, A., “Lateral growth of Late Pleistocene stromatolites from Walker Lake
(Nevada) and proxy constrains on environmental change” Poster presentation,
Geological Society of America/October 22, 2014/Vancouver, Canada
2012 Juarez Rivera, M., Sumner, Y. D. “Tubular Structures and the Interplay between
Microbial and Preservational Processes in Fenestrae Microbialites” Oral presentation,
Geological Society of America/ November 6, 2012/T144/Charlotte, North Carolina

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2012 Juarez Rivera, M., Sumner, Y. D. “3Dimensional distributions of tubular structures in
Fenestrae microbialites” Poster presentation/UC Davis Undergraduate Research
Symposium/April 2012/University of California, Davis.
2012 Juarez Rivera, M., Sumner, Y. D. “Exploring Distributions of Tubular Structures in
Fenestrae Microbialites” Poster presentation/Astrobiology Science Conference/April
2012/ Atlanta, Georgia
2011 Juarez Rivera, M., Sumner, Y. D. “Tubular structures in Fenestrate microbialites”
Poster presentation/Society for the Advancement of Hispanics and Native Americans in
Science (SACNAS) conference/October 2011/San Jose, California

Research funding
2021 Vivian Forde Graduate Fellowship, SESE ASU
2021 GPSA Terminal Research Grant
2020 Geological Society of America, Graduate Student Research Grant recipient
2019 Summer Exploration Graduate Fellowship, School of Earth and Space Exploration 
2013 Earth and Planetary Sciences Durrell Grant, University of California, Davis
2012 California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) Grant, UC Davis
Awards
2020 American Geophysical Union Travel grant to attend the 2020 AGU conference
2020 Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) travel grant to attend the
American Geophysical Union Conference
2020 CLAS Graduate College Fellowship at ASU
2016 CLAS Graduate Excellence Fellowship for First Generation Students at ASU
2016 Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) Travel Grant awardee
To attend the 2016 Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog
Environments conference
2015 NASA Astrobiology Institute Scholarship recipient to attend the 2015 Western
Australia Astrobiology Grand Tour
2012 Outstanding Research Presentation award at the University of California, Davis,
Undergraduate Research Conference (URC)
2011 Outstanding Research Presentation award at the Society for the Advancement of
Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), poster presentation
competition

Teaching experience and mentorship

2021 Guest lecturer, ASU, Geomicrobiology course
2021 Teaching Assistant, ASU, GLG 101 & 102 (lab), GLG 102 &104 (lab) on-line courses
2020 Teaching Assistant, ASU, GLG 101 & 102 (lab), GLG 102 & 104 (lab) on-line courses
2020 Guest lecturer, ASU, Geomicrobiology course
2020 Teaching Assistant, ASU, Essentials of Astrobiology
2020 Teaching Assistant, ASU, Introduction to Historical Geology, on-line course
2018 Teaching Assistant, ASU, Paleontology
2018 Teaching Assistant, ASU, Introduction to Physical Geology
2016 Teaching Assistant, ASU, Essentials of Astrobiology
2015 Teaching Assistant, University of California Davis, Introduction to Geology

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2014-15Mentored two undergraduate students on microbialite projects. Met biweekly to
analyze work and discuss findings.

Appointments
2020-2021 Director of Awards for the Graduate Professional and Student Association
(GPSA) at Arizona State University
2015-2020 Research Assistant, Arizona State University, Tempe
2013-2015 Research Assistant, University of California, Davis
2011-2013 Undergraduate Researcher, University of California, Davis
2011-2012 High school Tutor for the Davis Bridge Program, Harper Jr. School, Davis CA

Fieldwork experience
2018 Led sample collection during a two-week long field season in northern Chile to collect
hot spring rock samples for my dissertation research
2017 Led sample collection during a two-week long field season in Chile to collect samples for
my dissertation
2016 Led mapping and sample collection during a three-week field season in Iceland to collect
sinter samples that will become part of my dissertation research.
2014 Led a two-week field season in the Northern Cape, South Africa studying Archean
fenestrate microbialites for my Master’s project. Mapped stratigraphic sections and
collected samples.
2014 International Geobiology Summer Course Participant. Participated in a four-week
intensive geobiology program to study the modern microbialites of Walker Lake, CA and
microbial communities in Little Hot Creek, Long Valley Caldera, CA.
2013 Geology Summer Field Course. Mapped faulted and folded Cambrian strata of the Poleta
formation. Mapped an active fault system in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Characterized
porosity and permeability in the Eastern Long Valley Caldera, California using gravity,
magnetic, electrical resistivity and seismic surveys.
2012 Field work assistant. Assisted UC Davis graduate student by measuring section, making
field sketches of microbialites, and collecting samples during a week of fieldwork.

Community service, outreach and leadership roles

2021 SESE students and alumni mentorship program founder
2021 Humans of the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE), curator
2020 Science Poster Judge for middle school students at St. Paul de Vincent School
2020 Career Fair volunteer for middle school students at St. Paul de Vincent School
2017 Travel and Research grant reviewer for GPSA
2016 Booth exhibitor at ASU’s Earth and Space Exploration Day
2016 Travel and Research grant reviewer for GPSA at Arizona State University
2016 Helped lead a NASA-funded teacher and educator workshop titled “The Search for
Habitable Envs: Instilling Curiosity into Student Learning Symposium and Fieldtrip”
2015 Travel and Research grant reviewer for GPSA at Arizona State University
2015 Booth exhibitor at ASU’s Earth and Space Exploration Day
2015 Poster judge at the Astrobiology Science Conference, Chicago
2015 Science Project Judge for high school science fair at UC Davis

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2013 UC Davis Tour Host Led a tour of the UCD Keck CAVES for the California Alliance
for Minority Participation (CAMP) transfer student’s day
2013 Graduate School Panel Organized and participated in a panel on the grad school app.
process for the Chicano/a and Latino/a Engineers and Scientists Society (CALESS)
2013 Panel participant Participated in a Graduate Student panel for CALESS at UC Davis
2012 High School Tutor for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) students at
Dixon High School, Dixon, CA
2012 UC Davis Tour Host to ~150 low-income, middle and high school students and parents
2012 Tour Host Led a tour of the UC Davis Keck CAVES for the California Alliance for
Minority Participation (CAMP) transfer student’s day
2012 Secretary for the Chicano/a and Latino/a Engineers and Scientist Society
2011 Banquet Chair Chicano/a and Latino/a Engineers and Scientist Society

Technical skills
X-ray Powdered Diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy with Energy Dispersive
Spectroscopy, Thin-section petrography, Field work, ARC-GIS, KeckCAVES 3DVisualizer
software, Three-dimensional analysis of microbial textures, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom,
Fluent in Spanish

Society membership
ASU Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), leadership
American Geophysical Union (AGU), member
Geological Society of America (GSA), member
Society for Advancement of Latinos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), member

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