Publications

The Upper formation of Aeolis Mons in Gale crater exhibits curvilinear bedding patterns on the surfaces of several erosional benches that have been interpreted as cross-bedding. We use High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) stereo topography to test this hypothesis by measuring the bedding geometry within these benches. The bedding geometry is consistent with aeolian cross-beds: measu

We use simulated images to demonstrate a novel technique for mitigating geometric distortions caused by platform motion (“jitter”) as two-dimensional image sensors are exposed and read out line by line (“rolling shutter”). The results indicate that the Europa Imaging System (EIS) on NASA’s Europa Clipper can likely meet its scientific goals requiring 0.1-pixel precision. We are therefore adapting

The Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) on-board Cassini took a few high-resolution images of the icy Saturnian satellites Mimas and Enceladus over the last seven years of the Cassini mission during non-targeted flybys. We used the new Mimas images to improve the existing semi-controlled mosaic of Mimas. A new controlled Enceladus mosaic was published recently (Bland et al., 2015; Bland et al. in prep

We compare the thermophysical properties and particle sizes derived from the Mars Science Laboratory rover's Ground Temperature Sensor of the Bagnold dunes, specifically Namib dune, to those derived orbitally from Thermal Emission Imaging System, ultimately linking these measurements to ground truth particle sizes determined from Mars Hand Lens Imager images. In general, we find that all three dat

One important, almost ubiquitous, tool for understanding the surfaces of solid bodies throughout the solar system is the study of impact craters. While measuring a distribution of crater diameters and locations is an important tool for a wide variety of studies, so too is measuring a crater's “depth.” Depth can inform numerous studies including the strength of a surface and modification rates in t

Reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental context of Martian sedimentary rocks is central to studies of ancient Martian habitability and regional palaeoclimate history. This paper reports the analysis of a distinct aeolian deposit preserved in Gale crater, Mars, and evaluates its palaeomorphology, the processes responsible for its deposition, and its implications for Gale crater geological history

Viscously relaxed craters provide a window into the thermal history of Ganymede, a satellite with copious geologic signs of past high heat flows. Here we present measurements of relaxed craters in four regions for which suitable imaging exists: near Anshar Sulcus, Tiamat Sulcus, northern Marius Regio, and Ganymede's south pole. We describe a technique to measure apparent depth, or depth of the cra

Thermal evolution modeling has yielded a variety of interior structures for Ceres, ranging from a modestly differentiated interior to more advanced evolution with a dry silicate core, a hydrated silicate mantle, and a volatile‐rich crust. Here we compute the mass and hydrostatic flattening from more than one hundred billion three‐layer density models for Ceres and describe the characteristics of t

This report continues the practice where the IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements revises recommendations regarding those topics for the planets, satellites, minor planets, and comets approximately every three years. The Working Group has now become a “functional working group” of the IAU and its membership is open to anyone interested in participating. We describe

In this work we describe the AutoCNet library, written in Python, to support the application of Computer Vision techniques for n-image correspondence identication in remotely sensed planetary images and subsequent bundle adjustment. The library is designed to support exploratory data analysis, algorithm and processing pipeline development, and application at scale in High Performance Computing (HP

Vinalia and Cerealia Faculae are bright and salt-rich localized areas in Occator crater on Ceres. The predominance of the near-infrared signature of sodium carbonate on these surfaces suggests their original material was a brine. Here we analyze Dawn Framing Camera's images and characterize the surfaces as composed of a central structure, either a possible depression (Vinalia) or a central dome (C

Thick deposits cover broad regions of the Martian mid-latitudes with a smooth mantle; erosion in these regions creates scarps that expose the internal structure of the mantle.We investigated eight of these locations and found that they expose deposits of water ice that can be >100 meters thick, extending downward from depths as shallow as 1 to 2 meters below the surface.The scarps are actively ret