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Research facility · Houston · United States

Lunar and Planetary Institute

In research, Lunar and Planetary Institute stands highest in Physical Sciences (#8,641 of 12,888 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 103.1× its share of world research.

lpi.usra.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#16,891
of 28,054 · #6,391 all time
Rank in United States
#2,405
of 4,192
Research works
1.5k
▼ 16% vs 2013–17
Citations
42k
29.1 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
17.7%
record average 16.5%
Open access
35%
world 28%

What is Lunar and Planetary Institute known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #8,641 of 12,888 18.3%81 #3864

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Lunar and Planetary Institute sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

What does Lunar and Planetary Institute specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 103.1× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 46.9 works103×
  2. Physics and AstronomyField · 49.7 works26×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.25× its world share, 1 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.36× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Neuroscience: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemistry: 0.58× its world share, 1 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.16× its world share, 1 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 11.08× its world share, 15 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.92× its world share, 1 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.64× its world share, 8 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.67× its world share, 3 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.50× its world share, 2 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.16× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 25.54× its world share, 50 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.13× its world share, 2 worksMedicineNursing: 0.39× its world share, 0 worksNursingBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.12× its world share, 0 worksBusiness, Management…Psychology: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.08× its world share, 1 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 25.5×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Lunar and Planetary Institute?

Ranked on the composite score, Stephen M. Clifford, A. H. Treiman and D. A. Kring lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Lunar and Planetary Institute.

  1. 1 Stephen M. Clifford United States · #153,414 worldwide 180 citations · 22 works
  2. 2 A. H. Treiman United States · #167,959 worldwide 528 citations · 103 works
  3. 3 D. A. Kring United States · #193,176 worldwide 831 citations · 179 works
  4. 4 John F. Lindsay United States · #198,159 worldwide 140 citations · 31 works
  5. 5 P. D. Spudis United States · #201,477 worldwide 371 citations · 92 works
  6. 6 G. Ryder United States · #214,240 worldwide 179 citations · 55 works
  7. 7 S. M. Clifford United States · #224,373 worldwide 152 citations · 21 works
  8. 8 L. E. Kirkland United States · #290,119 worldwide 94 citations · 21 works
  9. 9 G. Y. Kramer United States · #380,104 worldwide 71 citations · 39 works
  10. 10 B. Bussey United States · #416,231 worldwide 62 citations · 19 works
All ranked researchers at Lunar and Planetary Institute

Which keywords describe research at Lunar and Planetary Institute?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Mars, Martian Surface, Solar System Abundances, Terrestrial Planets, Holocene, Sea Level, Glacial Cycles and Paleoclimatology.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 38 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 38 words, with their numbers
  1. Mars20▲ 698×1 topic
  2. Martian Surface20▲ 698×1 topic
  3. Solar System Abundances18▲ 430×1 topic
  4. Terrestrial Planets18▲ 430×1 topic
  5. Climate Change8▲ 3.2×11 topics
  6. Holocene5▲ 53×2 topics
  7. Sea Level5▲ 64×2 topics
  8. Glacial Cycles5▲ 87×1 topic
  9. Paleoclimatology5▲ 70×1 topic
  10. Thermodynamic Modeling4▲ 42×2 topics
  11. Plate Tectonics4▲ 30×2 topics
  12. Risk Assessment4▲ 5.8×3 topics
  13. Extravehicular Activity3▲ 453×1 topic
  14. Space Suit3▲ 453×1 topic
  15. Astrobiology3▲ 123×2 topics
  16. Geochronology3▲ 51×1 topic
  17. Zircon3▲ 51×1 topic
  18. Space Exploration3▲ 76×2 topics
  19. Extraterrestrial Life3▲ 140×1 topic
  20. SETI3▲ 140×1 topic
  21. Exoplanets2▲ 60×1 topic
  22. Stellar Astrophysics2▲ 60×1 topic
  23. Paleoproductivity2▲ 80×1 topic
  24. Paleoredox2▲ 80×1 topic
  25. Star Formation2▲ 34×2 topics
  26. Spectroscopy2▲ 10×5 topics
  27. Accretion Disks1▲ 34×2 topics
  28. Magnetic Fields1▲ 25×2 topics
  29. Molecular Clouds1▲ 63×1 topic
  30. Protoplanetary Disks1▲ 63×1 topic
  31. Astronomical Instrumentation1▲ 59×1 topic
  32. Spectrograph1▲ 59×1 topic
  33. Geodetic Measurements1▲ 13×2 topics
  34. Tomography1▲ 7.8×4 topics
  35. Cryogenic Storage1▲ 43×1 topic
  36. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)1▲ 43×1 topic
  37. Stable Isotopes1▲ 40×1 topic
  38. Trophic Position1▲ 40×1 topic

Which research topics does Lunar and Planetary Institute publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Planetary Science and Exploration, Astro and Planetary Science, Geology and Paleoclimatology Research and Space Exploration and Technology.

Planetary Science and Ex…20Planetary Science and Exploration: 20 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Scie…18Astro and Planetary Science: 18 fractional worksGeology and Paleoclimatology Research: 5 fractional worksSpace Exploration and Technology: 3 fractional worksGeological and Geochemical Analysis: 3 fractional worksSpace Science and Extraterrestrial Life: 3 fractional worksStellar, planetary, and galactic studies: 2 fractional worksPaleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils: 2 fractional worksAstrophysics and Star Formation Studies: 1 fractional worksAstronomy and Astrophysical Research: 1 fractional works
Astronomy and AstrophysicsAtmospheric ScienceAerospace EngineeringGeophysics2 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Planetary Science and Exploration Astronomy and Astrophysics 20 works
  2. 2 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 18 works
  3. 3 Geology and Paleoclimatology Research Atmospheric Science 5 works
  4. 4 Space Exploration and Technology Aerospace Engineering 3 works
  5. 5 Geological and Geochemical Analysis Geophysics 3 works
  6. 6 Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life Astronomy and Astrophysics 3 works
  7. 7 Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 2 works
  8. 8 Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils Paleontology 2 works
  9. 9 Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies Astronomy and Astrophysics 1 works
  10. 10 Astronomy and Astrophysical Research Instrumentation 1 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available34.8%not open65.2%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors20.7%domestic only79.3%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Lunar and Planetary Institute's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 16% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Houston

All research institutions in Houston

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.