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Planetary Geology
My planetary geology research focuses on assessing and comparing the development of volcanic and tectonic features on Earth, Venus and Mars in order to understand how their complex geological surfaces formed and evolved. These studies, which integrate satellite image analysis, numerical modeling and some fieldwork, are often conducted with undergraduates and/or in close collaboration with colleagues from other institutions. My research is principally funded at present by grants from Fulbright, NASA’s Planetary Geology & Geophysics program, and NSF’s CCLI program.
[Information about the Mars animation on right]
Examples of current (Jan. 2009) projects include:
- Interpreting the volcanic and tectonic stratigraphy within the Ganiki Planitia quadrangle of Venus.
- Exploring the pedagogy of computational science, a field which integrates computing, mathematics and science in order to explore interesting research-like questions in the classroom.
- Unraveling the interplay between shallow magma reservoir failure and the formation of large volcanoes.
- Evaluating the factors controlling large caldera formation.
- Assessing the relationships between magma reservoir characteristics and eruption volume.
- Investigating the formation of small grabens in Canyonlands National Park.
- Constructing and interpreting a global map of lineaments on Venus in an effort to better understand giant radiating dike swarm formation.
Thesis Collaboration with Students
- 1998 – 2008
