Michael Brown is an earth scientist with a focus on the 99.9% of Earth where geologic field trips simply are not possible. He and his lab group investigate properties of earth materials under a wide range of pressures and temperatures in order to better understand processes that take place in Earth and in interiors of other planets far beyond the reach of the deepest drills. He and his students have published on diverse topics including the thermal and compositional state of Earth’s core, the habitability of environments found at the base of oceans on Jupiter’s moon Europa, and material properties controlling groundwater flow in the Puget Sound basin. Brown has received many honors and awards throughout his career, including the Louis Néel Medal from the European Geophysical Society. Additionally, he has been elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the American Physical Society, and the Mineralogical Society of America.