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: 80
It’s time for focused in situ studies of planetary surface-atmosphere interactions It’s time for focused in situ studies of planetary surface-atmosphere interactions
A critical gap in planetary observations has been in situ characterization of extra-terrestrial, present-day atmospheric and surface environments and activity. While some surface activity has been observed and some in situ meteorological measurements have been collected by auxiliary instruments on Mars, existing information is insufficient to conclusively characterize the natural...
Authors
Serina Diniega, Nathan Barba, Louis Giersch, Brian Jackson, Alejandro Soto, Don Banfield, Mackenzie D. Day, Gary Doran, Colin M. Dundas, Michael Mischna, Scot Rafkin, Isaac B. Smith, Rob Sullivan, Christy Swann, Timothy N. Titus, Ian J. Walker, Jacob Widmer, Devon M. Burr, Lukas Mandrake, Nathalie Vriend, Kaj E. Williams
The formation mechanisms for mid-latitude ice scarps on Mars The formation mechanisms for mid-latitude ice scarps on Mars
Mid-latitude exposed ice scarps have recently been identified on Mars (Dundas et al., 2018; 2021). The presence of such surface ice exposures at relatively low latitudes was itself a mystery, and the formation dynamics of such scarps have also not been explained. In this work we model the ice ablation rates of several identified mid-latitude scarps. We find that, given certain...
Authors
Kaj E. Williams, Colin M. Dundas, Melinda A. Kahre
Martian gully activity and the gully sediment transport system Martian gully activity and the gully sediment transport system
The formation process for Martian gullies is a critical unknown for understanding recent climate conditions. Leading hypotheses include formation by snowmelt in a past climate, or formation via currently active CO2 frost processes. This paper presents an expanded catalog of >300 recent flows in gullies. The results indicate that sediment transport in current gully flows moves the full...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Susan J. Conway, Glen E. Cushing
New craters on Mars: An updated catalog New craters on Mars: An updated catalog
We present a catalog of new impacts on Mars. These craters formed in the last few decades, constrained with repeat orbital imaging. Crater diameters range from 58 m down to 8 m (differential slope 2.9), significantly shallower than the slope of new lunar craters. We believe that no systematic biases exist in the Martian data set sufficient to explain the discrepancy. This catalog is...
Authors
Ingrid J. Daubar, Colin M. Dundas, Alfred S. McEwen, Annabelle Gao, D. Wexler, Sylvain Piqueux, Gareth S. Collins, Katarina Miljkovic, T. Neidhart, J. Eschenfelder, Gwen D. Bart, Kiri L. Wagstaff, Gary Doran, Liliya Posiolova, Michael C. Malin, Gunnar Speth, David Susko, A. Werynski
Comparison of Digital Terrain Models from two photoclinometry methods Comparison of Digital Terrain Models from two photoclinometry methods
We evaluate the horizontal resolution and vertical precision for digital topographic models (DTMs) of the Moon derived from image radiance information, a process known as photoclinometry (PC) or shape-from-shading (SfS). We use the implementations in two available planetary image processing software systems, single image PC in the U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Software for Imagers...
Authors
Randolph L. Kirk, David Mayer, Colin M. Dundas, Benjamin H Wheeler, Ross A. Beyer, Oleg Alexandrov
Revealing active Mars with HiRISE digital terrain models Revealing active Mars with HiRISE digital terrain models
Many discoveries of active surface processes on Mars have been made due to the availability of repeat high-resolution images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. HiRISE stereo images are used to make digital terrain models (DTMs) and orthorectified images (orthoimages). HiRISE DTMs and orthoimage time series have been...
Authors
Sarah S. Sutton, Matthew Chojnacki, Alfred S. McEwen, Randolph L. Kirk, Colin M. Dundas, Ethan I Schaefer, Susan J. Conway, Serina Diniega, Ganna Portyankina, Margaret E. Landis, Nicole F Baugh, Rodney Heyd, Shane Byrne, Livio L. Tornabene, Lujendra Ojha, Christopher W. Hamilton
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 80
It’s time for focused in situ studies of planetary surface-atmosphere interactions It’s time for focused in situ studies of planetary surface-atmosphere interactions
A critical gap in planetary observations has been in situ characterization of extra-terrestrial, present-day atmospheric and surface environments and activity. While some surface activity has been observed and some in situ meteorological measurements have been collected by auxiliary instruments on Mars, existing information is insufficient to conclusively characterize the natural...
Authors
Serina Diniega, Nathan Barba, Louis Giersch, Brian Jackson, Alejandro Soto, Don Banfield, Mackenzie D. Day, Gary Doran, Colin M. Dundas, Michael Mischna, Scot Rafkin, Isaac B. Smith, Rob Sullivan, Christy Swann, Timothy N. Titus, Ian J. Walker, Jacob Widmer, Devon M. Burr, Lukas Mandrake, Nathalie Vriend, Kaj E. Williams
The formation mechanisms for mid-latitude ice scarps on Mars The formation mechanisms for mid-latitude ice scarps on Mars
Mid-latitude exposed ice scarps have recently been identified on Mars (Dundas et al., 2018; 2021). The presence of such surface ice exposures at relatively low latitudes was itself a mystery, and the formation dynamics of such scarps have also not been explained. In this work we model the ice ablation rates of several identified mid-latitude scarps. We find that, given certain...
Authors
Kaj E. Williams, Colin M. Dundas, Melinda A. Kahre
Martian gully activity and the gully sediment transport system Martian gully activity and the gully sediment transport system
The formation process for Martian gullies is a critical unknown for understanding recent climate conditions. Leading hypotheses include formation by snowmelt in a past climate, or formation via currently active CO2 frost processes. This paper presents an expanded catalog of >300 recent flows in gullies. The results indicate that sediment transport in current gully flows moves the full...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Susan J. Conway, Glen E. Cushing
New craters on Mars: An updated catalog New craters on Mars: An updated catalog
We present a catalog of new impacts on Mars. These craters formed in the last few decades, constrained with repeat orbital imaging. Crater diameters range from 58 m down to 8 m (differential slope 2.9), significantly shallower than the slope of new lunar craters. We believe that no systematic biases exist in the Martian data set sufficient to explain the discrepancy. This catalog is...
Authors
Ingrid J. Daubar, Colin M. Dundas, Alfred S. McEwen, Annabelle Gao, D. Wexler, Sylvain Piqueux, Gareth S. Collins, Katarina Miljkovic, T. Neidhart, J. Eschenfelder, Gwen D. Bart, Kiri L. Wagstaff, Gary Doran, Liliya Posiolova, Michael C. Malin, Gunnar Speth, David Susko, A. Werynski
Comparison of Digital Terrain Models from two photoclinometry methods Comparison of Digital Terrain Models from two photoclinometry methods
We evaluate the horizontal resolution and vertical precision for digital topographic models (DTMs) of the Moon derived from image radiance information, a process known as photoclinometry (PC) or shape-from-shading (SfS). We use the implementations in two available planetary image processing software systems, single image PC in the U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Software for Imagers...
Authors
Randolph L. Kirk, David Mayer, Colin M. Dundas, Benjamin H Wheeler, Ross A. Beyer, Oleg Alexandrov
Revealing active Mars with HiRISE digital terrain models Revealing active Mars with HiRISE digital terrain models
Many discoveries of active surface processes on Mars have been made due to the availability of repeat high-resolution images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. HiRISE stereo images are used to make digital terrain models (DTMs) and orthorectified images (orthoimages). HiRISE DTMs and orthoimage time series have been...
Authors
Sarah S. Sutton, Matthew Chojnacki, Alfred S. McEwen, Randolph L. Kirk, Colin M. Dundas, Ethan I Schaefer, Susan J. Conway, Serina Diniega, Ganna Portyankina, Margaret E. Landis, Nicole F Baugh, Rodney Heyd, Shane Byrne, Livio L. Tornabene, Lujendra Ojha, Christopher W. Hamilton