Colin Dundas, Ph.D.
Colin Dundas is a Research Geologist with the Astrogeology Science Center. He studies planetary geomorphology and surface processes using spacecraft imagery and topography data as well as numerical modeling, with a particular focus on active processes and change detection. He is a Co-Investigator and Science Theme Lead for Mass Wasting on the HiRISE camera team.
Past and current research areas include:
- Current activity on Martian slopes, including Recurring Slope Lineae and changes in gullies
- Martian ground ice, ice-exposing impact craters and scarps, and sublimation-thermokarst landforms
- Large lava flows and lava-volatile interactions on Mars, Io, and Earth
- Effects of target properties and secondary craters on crater chronology
- Floods in Martian outflow channels
- Volatile-loss landforms in the Solar System
Professional Experience
2009-2011: Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Arizona.
2011 - Present: Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Planetary Science (Geoscience minor), The University of Arizona, 2009
B.S., Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, 2004
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 81
Slope activity in Gale crater, Mars Slope activity in Gale crater, Mars
High-resolution repeat imaging of Aeolis Mons, the central mound in Gale crater, reveals active slope processes within tens of kilometers of the Curiosity rover. At one location near the base of northeastern Aeolis Mons, dozens of transient narrow lineae were observed, resembling features (Recurring Slope Lineae) that are potentially due to liquid water. However, the lineae faded and...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Alfred S. McEwen
Temperature profile around a basaltic sill intruded into wet sediments Temperature profile around a basaltic sill intruded into wet sediments
The transfer of heat into wet sediments from magmatic intrusions or lava flows is not well constrained from field data. Such field constraints on numerical models of heat transfer could significantly improve our understanding of water–lava interactions. We use experimentally calibrated pollen darkening to measure the temperature profile around a basaltic sill emplaced into wet lakebed...
Authors
Leslie Baker, Andrew Bernard, William C. Rember, Moses P. Milazzo, Colin M. Dundas, Oleg Abramov, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
Expanded secondary craters in the Arcadia Planitia region, Mars: evidence for tens of Myr-old shallow subsurface ice Expanded secondary craters in the Arcadia Planitia region, Mars: evidence for tens of Myr-old shallow subsurface ice
A range of observations indicates widespread subsurface ice throughout the mid and high latitudes of Mars in the form of both pore-filling and excess ice. It is generally thought that this ice was recently emplaced and is not older than a hundred thousand to a few millions of years old based on ice stability and orbital-induced climate change. We analyze the distribution of subsurface...
Authors
Donna Viola, Alfred S. McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne
Emplacement and erosive effects of the south Kasei Valles lava on Mars Emplacement and erosive effects of the south Kasei Valles lava on Mars
Although it has generally been accepted that the Martian outflow channels were carved by floods of water, observations of large channels on Venus and Mercury demonstrate that lava flows can cause substantial erosion. Recent observations of large lava flows within outflow channels on Mars have revived discussion of the hypothesis that the Martian channels are also produced by lava. An...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
HiRISE observations of Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) during southern summer on Mars HiRISE observations of Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) during southern summer on Mars
Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) are active features on Mars that might require flowing water. Most examples observed through 2011 formed on steep, equator-facing slopes in the southern mid-latitudes. They form and grow during warm seasons and fade and often completely disappear during colder seasons, but recur over multiple Mars years. They are recognizable by their incremental growth...
Authors
Lujendra Ojha, Alfred McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne, Sarah Mattson, James Wray, Marion Masse, Ethan Schaefer
Recurring slope lineae in equatorial regions of Mars Recurring slope lineae in equatorial regions of Mars
The presence of liquid water is a requirement of habitability on a planet. Possible indicators of liquid surface water on Mars include intermittent flow-like features observed on sloping terrains. These recurring slope lineae are narrow, dark markings on steep slopes that appear and incrementally lengthen during warm seasons on low-albedo surfaces. The lineae fade in cooler seasons and...
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Mattson, Anthony D. Toigo, Lujendra Ojha, James J. Wray, Matthew Chojnacki, Shane Byrne, Scott L. Murchie, Nicolas Thomas
HiRISE observations of new impact craters exposing Martian ground ice HiRISE observations of new impact craters exposing Martian ground ice
Twenty small new impact craters or clusters have been observed to excavate bright material inferred to be ice at mid and high latitudes on Mars. In the northern hemisphere, the craters are widely distributed geographically and occur at latitudes as low as 39°N. Stability modeling suggests that this ice distribution requires a long-term average atmospheric water vapor content around 25...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne, Alfred S. McEwen, Michael T. Mellon, Megan R. Kennedy, Ingrid J. Daubar, Lee Saper
Modeling steam pressure under martian lava flows Modeling steam pressure under martian lava flows
Rootless cones on Mars are a valuable indicator of past interactions between lava and water. However, the details of the lava–water interactions are not fully understood, limiting the ability to use these features to infer new information about past water on Mars. We have developed a model for the pressurization of a dry layer of porous regolith by melting and boiling ground ice in the...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
A new dry hypothesis for the formation of Martian linear gullies A new dry hypothesis for the formation of Martian linear gullies
Long, narrow grooves found on the slopes of martian sand dunes have been cited as evidence of liquid water via the hypothesis that melt-water initiated debris flows eroded channels and deposited lateral levées. However, this theory has several short-comings for explaining the observed morphology and activity of these linear gullies. We present an alternative hypothesis that is...
Authors
Serina Diniega, Candice J. Hansen, Jim N. McElwaine, C.H. Hugenholtz, Colin M. Dundas, Alfred S. McEwen, Mary C. Bourke
Seasonal activity and morphological changes in martian gullies Seasonal activity and morphological changes in martian gullies
Recent studies of martian dune and non-dune gullies have suggested a seasonal control on present-day gully activity. The timing of current gully activity, especially activity involving the formation or modification of channels (which commonly have been taken as evidence of fluvial processes), has important implications regarding likely gully formation processes and necessary...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Serina Diniega, Candice J. Hansen, Shane Byrne, Alfred S. McEwen
Columbus crater and other possible groundwater-fed paleolakes of Terra Sirenum, Mars Columbus crater and other possible groundwater-fed paleolakes of Terra Sirenum, Mars
Columbus crater in the Terra Sirenum region of the Martian southern highlands contains light‐toned layered deposits with interbedded sulfate and phyllosilicate minerals, a rare occurrence on Mars. Here we investigate in detail the morphology, thermophysical properties, mineralogy, and stratigraphy of these deposits; explore their regional context; and interpret the crater's aqueous...
Authors
J.J. Wray, R.E. Milliken, Colin M. Dundas, Gregg A. Swayze, J. C. Andrews-Hanna, A.M. Baldridge, M. Chojnacki, J.L. Bishop, B.L. Ehlmann, S.L. Murchie, Roger N. Clark, F.P. Seelos, L.L. Tornabene, S. W. Squyres
Seasonal flows on warm Martian slopes Seasonal flows on warm Martian slopes
Water probably flowed across ancient Mars, but whether it ever exists as a liquid on the surface today remains debatable. Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are narrow (0.5 to 5 meters), relatively dark markings on steep (25° to 40°) slopes; repeat images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment show them to appear and incrementally grow during warm...
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Lujendra Ojha, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Mattson, Shane Byrne, James J. Wray, Selby C. Cull, Scott L. Murchie, Nicolas Thomas, Virginia C. Gulick
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 81
Slope activity in Gale crater, Mars Slope activity in Gale crater, Mars
High-resolution repeat imaging of Aeolis Mons, the central mound in Gale crater, reveals active slope processes within tens of kilometers of the Curiosity rover. At one location near the base of northeastern Aeolis Mons, dozens of transient narrow lineae were observed, resembling features (Recurring Slope Lineae) that are potentially due to liquid water. However, the lineae faded and...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Alfred S. McEwen
Temperature profile around a basaltic sill intruded into wet sediments Temperature profile around a basaltic sill intruded into wet sediments
The transfer of heat into wet sediments from magmatic intrusions or lava flows is not well constrained from field data. Such field constraints on numerical models of heat transfer could significantly improve our understanding of water–lava interactions. We use experimentally calibrated pollen darkening to measure the temperature profile around a basaltic sill emplaced into wet lakebed...
Authors
Leslie Baker, Andrew Bernard, William C. Rember, Moses P. Milazzo, Colin M. Dundas, Oleg Abramov, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
Expanded secondary craters in the Arcadia Planitia region, Mars: evidence for tens of Myr-old shallow subsurface ice Expanded secondary craters in the Arcadia Planitia region, Mars: evidence for tens of Myr-old shallow subsurface ice
A range of observations indicates widespread subsurface ice throughout the mid and high latitudes of Mars in the form of both pore-filling and excess ice. It is generally thought that this ice was recently emplaced and is not older than a hundred thousand to a few millions of years old based on ice stability and orbital-induced climate change. We analyze the distribution of subsurface...
Authors
Donna Viola, Alfred S. McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne
Emplacement and erosive effects of the south Kasei Valles lava on Mars Emplacement and erosive effects of the south Kasei Valles lava on Mars
Although it has generally been accepted that the Martian outflow channels were carved by floods of water, observations of large channels on Venus and Mercury demonstrate that lava flows can cause substantial erosion. Recent observations of large lava flows within outflow channels on Mars have revived discussion of the hypothesis that the Martian channels are also produced by lava. An...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
HiRISE observations of Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) during southern summer on Mars HiRISE observations of Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) during southern summer on Mars
Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) are active features on Mars that might require flowing water. Most examples observed through 2011 formed on steep, equator-facing slopes in the southern mid-latitudes. They form and grow during warm seasons and fade and often completely disappear during colder seasons, but recur over multiple Mars years. They are recognizable by their incremental growth...
Authors
Lujendra Ojha, Alfred McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne, Sarah Mattson, James Wray, Marion Masse, Ethan Schaefer
Recurring slope lineae in equatorial regions of Mars Recurring slope lineae in equatorial regions of Mars
The presence of liquid water is a requirement of habitability on a planet. Possible indicators of liquid surface water on Mars include intermittent flow-like features observed on sloping terrains. These recurring slope lineae are narrow, dark markings on steep slopes that appear and incrementally lengthen during warm seasons on low-albedo surfaces. The lineae fade in cooler seasons and...
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Mattson, Anthony D. Toigo, Lujendra Ojha, James J. Wray, Matthew Chojnacki, Shane Byrne, Scott L. Murchie, Nicolas Thomas
HiRISE observations of new impact craters exposing Martian ground ice HiRISE observations of new impact craters exposing Martian ground ice
Twenty small new impact craters or clusters have been observed to excavate bright material inferred to be ice at mid and high latitudes on Mars. In the northern hemisphere, the craters are widely distributed geographically and occur at latitudes as low as 39°N. Stability modeling suggests that this ice distribution requires a long-term average atmospheric water vapor content around 25...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne, Alfred S. McEwen, Michael T. Mellon, Megan R. Kennedy, Ingrid J. Daubar, Lee Saper
Modeling steam pressure under martian lava flows Modeling steam pressure under martian lava flows
Rootless cones on Mars are a valuable indicator of past interactions between lava and water. However, the details of the lava–water interactions are not fully understood, limiting the ability to use these features to infer new information about past water on Mars. We have developed a model for the pressurization of a dry layer of porous regolith by melting and boiling ground ice in the...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
A new dry hypothesis for the formation of Martian linear gullies A new dry hypothesis for the formation of Martian linear gullies
Long, narrow grooves found on the slopes of martian sand dunes have been cited as evidence of liquid water via the hypothesis that melt-water initiated debris flows eroded channels and deposited lateral levées. However, this theory has several short-comings for explaining the observed morphology and activity of these linear gullies. We present an alternative hypothesis that is...
Authors
Serina Diniega, Candice J. Hansen, Jim N. McElwaine, C.H. Hugenholtz, Colin M. Dundas, Alfred S. McEwen, Mary C. Bourke
Seasonal activity and morphological changes in martian gullies Seasonal activity and morphological changes in martian gullies
Recent studies of martian dune and non-dune gullies have suggested a seasonal control on present-day gully activity. The timing of current gully activity, especially activity involving the formation or modification of channels (which commonly have been taken as evidence of fluvial processes), has important implications regarding likely gully formation processes and necessary...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Serina Diniega, Candice J. Hansen, Shane Byrne, Alfred S. McEwen
Columbus crater and other possible groundwater-fed paleolakes of Terra Sirenum, Mars Columbus crater and other possible groundwater-fed paleolakes of Terra Sirenum, Mars
Columbus crater in the Terra Sirenum region of the Martian southern highlands contains light‐toned layered deposits with interbedded sulfate and phyllosilicate minerals, a rare occurrence on Mars. Here we investigate in detail the morphology, thermophysical properties, mineralogy, and stratigraphy of these deposits; explore their regional context; and interpret the crater's aqueous...
Authors
J.J. Wray, R.E. Milliken, Colin M. Dundas, Gregg A. Swayze, J. C. Andrews-Hanna, A.M. Baldridge, M. Chojnacki, J.L. Bishop, B.L. Ehlmann, S.L. Murchie, Roger N. Clark, F.P. Seelos, L.L. Tornabene, S. W. Squyres
Seasonal flows on warm Martian slopes Seasonal flows on warm Martian slopes
Water probably flowed across ancient Mars, but whether it ever exists as a liquid on the surface today remains debatable. Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are narrow (0.5 to 5 meters), relatively dark markings on steep (25° to 40°) slopes; repeat images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment show them to appear and incrementally grow during warm...
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Lujendra Ojha, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Mattson, Shane Byrne, James J. Wray, Selby C. Cull, Scott L. Murchie, Nicolas Thomas, Virginia C. Gulick