Selected Publications
Penny Boston, Associate Professor of Cave and Karst Science

Curry, M., Boston, P.J., Spilde, M.N., Baichtal, J. and Campbell, A. 2009. Cottonballs: A unique subaqueous moonmilk, and abundant subaerial moonmilk in Cataract Cave, Tongass National Forest, Alaska. Intern. J. Speleology, v. 38, no. 2, p. 111-128.

Boston, P.J. 2008. Extremophiles and life on other planets. In, The Seventy Great Mysteries of the Natural World. Thames & Hudson, Ltd., London, UK. In press, accepted Nov. 2007.

Boston, P.J. 2008. Gaia Hypothesis. In, Encyclopedia of Ecology. Elsevier Press, p. 1727-1731. doi:10.1016/B978-008045405-4.00735-7   

Boston, P.J. 2008. Inherent biotic potential as a new basis for environmental ethical behavior. Ethics in Space Exploration. NASA Special Publication. In press, accepted Dec. 2007.

Melim, L.A., Northup, D.E., Spilde, M.N., Jones, B., Boston, P.J., and Bixby, R.J. 2008. Reticulated filaments in cave pool speleothems. J. Cave & Karst Studies. In press, accepted Dec. 2007.

Stafford, K.W., Nance, R., Rosales-Lagarde, L., and Boston, P.J., 2008. Epigene and hypogene karst manifestations of the Castile Formation: Eddy County, New Mexico and Culberson County, Texas, USA. International Journal of Speleology. In press, Vol. 37, No. 2, p. 83-98.

Rosales-Lagarde, L., Boston, P.J., Campbell, A., and Stafford, K.W., 2008. Possible structural connection between Chichón Volcano and the sulfur-rich springs of Villa Luz Cave (a.k.a. Cueva de las Sardinas), southern Mexico. AMCS Bulletin 19/SMES Boletin 7, p. 177-184.

Stafford, K.W., Rosales-Lagarde, L., and Boston, P.J., 2007. Castile evaporite karst potential map of the Gypsum Plain, Eddy County, New Mexico and Culberson County, Texas: A GIS methodological comparison. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies , Vol. 69, No. 3, Dec. 2007. In press, accepted August 2007.

Boston, P.J., Spilde, M.N., Dichosa, A., Francis, C., Northup, D.E., and Urbani, F. Unique microscopic mineral “bushes” on copper sulfide minerals produced by microorganism consortia: Museum mineral specimens, mines, and natural caves. Submitted to Geomicrobiology Journal, Dec. 2007.

Odenbach, K., Northup, D.E., Spilde, M.N., Boston, P.J., and Dichosa, A. 2008. Fungal precipitation of manganese compounds in culture: Role in desert varnish precipitation. Submitted to Microbial Ecology, Dec. 2007.

Boston, P.J., Hose, L.D., Northup, D.E. and Spilde, M.N. 2006. The microbial communities of sulfur caves; a newly appreciated geologically driven system on Earth and potential model for Mars. In: Perspectives on karst geomorphology, hydrology, and geochemistry; a tribute volume to Derek C. Ford and William B. White Special Paper - Geological Society of America, 404 (2006): 331-344. DOI: 10.1130/2006.2404(28)

Boston, P.J., Northup, D.E., and Lavoie, K.H. 2006. Preserving the unseen. Chapter in Cave Conservation Techniques, edited by V.Hildreth-Werker and J. Werker, National Speleological Soc. Pp. 288-300.

Boston, P.J., Hose, L.D., Northup, D.E., and Spilde, M.N. 2006. The microbial communities of sulfur caves: A newly appreciated geologically driven system on Earth and potential model for Mars. In, R. Harmon, ed. Karst Geomorphology, Hydrology, & Geochemistry Geological Soc. Amer. Special Paper 404. Pp. 331-344.

Northup, D.E. and Boston, P.J. 2006. Microbial speleology: Opportunities and challenges. 17th National Cave and Karst Management Symposium Proceedings, pp. 27-34. NCKMS, Albany, NY.

Spilde, M.N., Northup, D.E., and Boston, P.J. 2006. Ferromanganese deposits in the caves of the Guadalupe Mountains. New Mexico Geological Society Guidebook, 57th Field Conference, Caves and Karst of Southeastern New Mexico. pp. 161-166.

Thomas, D. J., Boling, J., Boston, P.J., Campbell, K.A., McSpadden, T., McWilliams, L., and P. Todd, 2006.  Extremophiles for ecopoeisis: desirable traits for and survivability of pioneer martian microorganisms.  Gravitational and Space Biology, 19(2):91-104.

Boston, P.J., Spilde, M.N., Northup, D.E., Melim, L.E., and Douglas, S. 2005. Evaporites in caves: A new paradigm for understanding microbial/mineral cave deposits. Astrobio. J. In press, awaiting the next special issue on this topic, probably mid 2005.

Boston, P.J., Spilde, M.N., and Northup, D.E. 2005. The Biological Origin of Cave Moonmilk and Subsequent Recrystallization of Mineral Coatings: An Example of In Situ Self-fossilization by Microorganisms. Invited paper submitted to the new experimental online journal Biogeosciences being launched by the European Geosciences Union.

Hunter, A.J., Northup, D.E., Dahm, C.N., and Boston, P.J. 2005. Human impact on water quality in Lechuguilla Cave pools. J. Cave & Karst Sci. 66(3):102-110.

Spilde, M.N., Northup, D.E., Boston, P.J., Schelble, R.T., Dano, K.E., Crossey, L.J., and Dahm, C.N. 2005. Geomicrobiology of cave ferromanganese deposits: A Field and Laboratory Investigation. Geomicrobiology J. 22:99-116.

Boston, P.J., Todd, P., and McMillen, K. 2004. Robotic lunar ecopoiesis test bed: Bringing the experimental method to terraforming. Space Tech. & Applic. Forum 2003 Bull.. AIP #654. Amer. Inst. of Physics, College Park, MD.

Boston, P.J., Frederick, R.D. , Welch, S.M., Werker, J., Meyer, T.R., Sprungman, B., Hildreth-Werker, V., Thompson, S.L. 2004. Extraterrestrial Subsurface Technology Test Bed: Human Use and Scientific Value of Martian Caves Space Tech. & Applic. Forum 2003 Bull. AIP #654. Amer. Inst. of Physics, College Park, MD.

Miller, J.E., S.H. Schneider, Crist, E., and Boston, P.J., Editors. 2004. Scientists Debate Gaia: The Next Century. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. 377 pp.

Boston, P.J. 2003. Biofilms. Encyclopedia of Cave and Karst Science . Fitzroy-Dearborn Publishers, Ltd., London, UK. Pp. 145-147.

Boston, P.J. 2003. Extraterrestrial Caves. Encyclopedia of Cave and Karst Science . Fitzroy-Dearborn Publishers, Ltd., London, UK. Pp. 355-358.

Boston, P.J. 2003. The National Cave and Karst Research Institute: American speleology's remarkable opportunity. J. Cave Karst Stud. 65(1):87.

Boston, P.J., Frederick, R.D., Welch, S.M., Werker, J., Meyer, T.R., Sprungman, B., Hildreth-Werker, V., Thompson, S.L., and Murphy, D.L.  2003.  Human utilization of subsurface extraterrestrial environments.  Amer. Soc. Grav. Space. Biol. Bull.  16(2):121-131. Full article (2.1MB PDF).

Dubowsky, S., Iagnemma, K., Boston, P.J., et al. 2003. Microsphere explorers for intelligence gathering in debris, caves, and subterranean environments. DARPA White Paper BAA03-01.

Northup, D.E., Barns, S.M., Yu, L.E., Spilde, M.N., Schelble, R.T., Dano, K.E., Crossey, L.J., Connolly, C.A., Boston, P.J., Natvig, D.O., and Dahm, C.N. 2003. Diverse microbial communities inhabiting ferromanganese deposits in Lechuguilla and Spider Caves. Env. Microbiol. 5(11):1071-1086.

Boston, P.J., Spilde, M.N., Northup, D.E., Melim, L.A., Soroka, D.S., Kleina, L. G., Lavoie, K.H., Hose, L.D., Mallory, L.M., Dahm, C.N., Crossey, L.J., and R.T. Schelble. 2001. Cave biosignature suites: Microbes, minerals and Mars. Astrobiology Journal 1(1):25-55.

Melim, L.A., Shinglman, K.M, Boston, P.J., Northup, D.E.m Spilde, M.N. and J.M. Queen. 2001. Evidence for microbial involvement in pool finger precipitation, Hidden Cave, New Mexico. Geomicrobiology Journal 18(3): 311-329.

Moser, D., Boston, P.J., and Martin, H. 2001. Sampling in caves and mines. In: Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology. New York: Wiley and Sons Publications.

Boston, Penelope. 2000. Life below and life 'out there'. Geotimes v.45(8):14-17.

Boston, P.J. 2000. Bubbles in the rocks: Natural and artificial caves and cavities as life support structures. In: R.M. Wheeler and C. Martin-Brennan (eds.) Mars Greenhouses: Concepts and Challenges. NASA Tech. Mem. 2000-208577. NASA Kennedy Space Center, Fl, 9-17.

Hose, Louise D., Palmer, Arthur N., Palmer, Margaret V., Northup, Diana E., Boston, Penelope J., and Harvey R. DuChene. 2000. Microbiology and geochemistry of a hydrogen sulphide-rich karst environment. Chemical Geology69(3-4):399-423.

Lavoie, K., Northup, D., and Boston, P. 2000. Sight unseen: microbes in caves. NSS News 58(3):68-69.

Northup, D. E., Dahm, Clifford N., Melim, L. A., Spilde, M. N., Crossey, L. J., Lavoie, K. H., Mallory, L. M., Boston, P. J., Cunningham, K. I., and S. M. Barns. 2000. Evidence for geomicrobiological interactions in Guadalupe caves. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 62(2):80-90.