Part of a series of articles titled Picturing the Unseen.
Article
Great Basin Geology and Art Team Up to Unlock Secrets of Mars and Moon
A Montana geologist and a professional oil painter join forces to help us understand the surfaces of other worlds.
By Zachary F. Murguía Burton and Delanie J. Linden
About this article
This article was first published online on March 25, 2026, as part of the Picturing the Unseen series.
Copyright © Zachary Burton. Used by permission.
Nothing quite captures the human imagination like outer space. There’s the grand question of what’s out there among moons and stars. Or what awaits us on possibly not-so-far-off journeys to our neighboring red planet, Mars. But we don’t have to just imagine. Spectacular geological features of U.S. national parks and other natural areas can give us a glimpse of what Mars and other planetary bodies across our solar system are like. In space research, these are called analogs. For example, because Mars is a cold desert world, scientists can draw parallels between how minerals develop in the Great Basin Desert—the only cold desert in the U.S.—and on the Martian surface.
Because Mars is a cold desert world, scientists can draw parallels between how minerals develop in the Great Basin Desert—the only cold desert in the U.S.—and on the Martian surface.
We, a geologist (Burton) and an artist (Linden), spent a summer studying and documenting the landscapes in the Great Basin National Heritage Area's harsh, otherworldly, high deserts. Our work can help people appreciate the scientific potential and beauty of this remote area and how it could unlock the secrets of other worlds.
NPS
I (Burton) worked on Mars- and Moon-analog field projects in the heritage area in summer 2024. With maps, pickaxe, and geologist's hammer in tow, I collected over 40 distinct rock and sediment samples across diverse sites in Nevada and Utah.
For the analysis, students at Montana State University and I are using instruments like those mounted on Mars rovers and orbiters. For example, we’re identifying minerals and measuring the chemical compositions of samples using X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence analyses similar to those done by Curiosity rover’s CheMin instrument.
Copyright © Delanie Linden. Used by permission.
Our goals are to understand the formation mechanisms of similar arrays of minerals on the lunar and Martian surfaces and to test the instruments. The heritage area samples will provide material for scientific inquiry far beyond the field season. The valuable returns of such investigations will extend years into the future.
Jackson's and Moran’s work captured the natural wonder of the American West and led to the 1872 establishment of Yellowstone as the first national park.
I (Linden) accompanied the geology expedition to capture these striking field scenes on canvas. I drew inspiration from seminal artists of the past such as William Henry Jackson, Thomas Moran, and Henry Wood Elliott. Jackson's and Moran’s work captured the natural wonder of the American West and led to the 1872 establishment of Yellowstone as the first national park. Elliot made the first map of Yellowstone Lake, and his work was critical to wildlife conservation in Alaska.
Copyright © Zachary Burton. Used by permission.
I drew additional inspiration from powerful images of NASA’s missions to outer space, like those from the Mars Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. Nineteenth-century artists showed the public that America’s backyard is teeming with natural wonder. My artwork aims to similarly inspire excitement about national parks, including as vital proving grounds for missions to outer space.
Acknowledgments
We thank the Great Basin Heritage Area Partnership for project funding. We extend special thanks to Brandi E. Roberts, executive director of the partnership and former supervisory park ranger at Great Basin National Park, for both project support and helpful feedback on this article.
About the authors
Zachary F. Murguía Burton is an assistant professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University. His research includes projects on Mojave National Preserve (since 2020), Lava Beds National Monument (since 2022), and the Great Basin National Heritage Area (since 2023), as well as Spain’s Timanfaya National Park and El Hierro UNESCO Global Geopark. Photo © Zachary Burton. Used by permission.
Delanie J. Linden is a professional oil painter who recently defended her PhD in art history at MIT. She is a postdoctoral fellow in the Caltech Program in Visual Culture. She has been an artist and researcher on this Great Basin project since 2023. Photo © Zachary Burton. Used by permission.
Republishing this article
This article is available for unedited republication, free of charge. We ask that you use the following credit: Originally published as "Great Basin Geology and Art Team Up to Unlock Secrets of Mars and Moon" on nps.gov, March 25, 2026.
Important: Some images may be copyrighted. Permission from the copyright holder is needed to reuse these. Check image credits for details.
Please let us know if you republish this article or have any questions.
Cite this article
Burton, Zachary F., and Delanie J. Linden. 2026. “Great Basin Geology and Art Team Up to Unlock Secrets of Mars and Moon.” National Park Service, March 25, 2026. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/psv40n1_great-basin-geology-and-art-team-up-to-unlock-secrets-of-mars-and-moon.htm
Last updated: March 25, 2026