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
Availability of subsurface water-ice resources in the northern mid-latitudes of Mars Availability of subsurface water-ice resources in the northern mid-latitudes of Mars
Multiple nations and private entities are pushing to make landing humans on Mars a reality. The majority of proposed mission architectures envision ‘living off the land’ by leveraging Martian water-ice deposits for fuel production and other purposes. Fortunately for mission designers, water ice exists on Mars in plentiful volumes. The challenge is isolating accessible ice deposits within...
Authors
Gareth A Morgan, Nathaniel E Putzig, Matthew R Perry, Hanna G Sizemore, Ali M Bramson, Eric I Petersen, Zach M Bain, David M H Baker, Marco Mastrogiuseppe, Rachel H Hoover, Isaac B. Smith, Asmin V Pathare, Colin M. Dundas, Bruce A Campbell
Modern Mars' geomorphological activity, driven by wind, frost, and gravity Modern Mars' geomorphological activity, driven by wind, frost, and gravity
Extensive evidence of landform-scale martian geomorphic changes has been acquired in the last decade, and the number and range of examples of surface activity have increased as more high-resolution imagery has been acquired. Within the present-day Mars climate, wind and frost/ice are the dominant drivers, resulting in large avalanches of material down icy, rocky, or sandy slopes...
Authors
Serina Diniega, Ali M Bramson, Bonnie J. Buratti, Peter Buhler, Devon M. Burr, Matthew Chojnacki, Susan J. Conway, Colin M. Dundas, Candice J. Hansen, Alfred S. McEwen, Mathieu G.A. Lapotre, Joseph S. Levy, Lauren McKeown, Sylvain Piqueux, Ganna Portyankina, Christy Swann, Timothy N. Titus, Jacob Widmer
Widespread exposures of extensive clean shallow ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars Widespread exposures of extensive clean shallow ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars
Although ice in the Martian midlatitudes is typically covered by a layer of dust or regolith, it is exposed in some locations by fresh impact craters or in erosional scarps. In both cases, the exposed ice is massive or excess ice with a low lithic content. We find that erosional scarps occur between 50° and 61° north and south latitude and that they are concentrated in and near...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Michael T. Mellon, Susan J. Conway, Ingrid J. Daubar, Kaj E. Williams, Lujendra Ojha, James J. Wray, Ali Bramson, Shane Byrne, Alfred S. McEwen, Liliya Posiolova, Gunnar Speth, Donna Viola, Margaret E. Landis, Gareth A Morgan, Asmin V Pathare
Mars: Abundant recurring slope lineae (RSL) following the planet-encircling dust event (PEDE) of 2018 Mars: Abundant recurring slope lineae (RSL) following the planet-encircling dust event (PEDE) of 2018
Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are dark linear markings on Mars that regrow annually and likely originate from the flow of either liquid water or granular material. Following the great dust storm (or planet-encircling dust event, PEDE) of Mars year (MY) 34, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter/High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment has seen many more candidate RSL than in typical Mars years...
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Ethan I Schaefer, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Sutton, Leslie K Tamppari, Matthew Chojnacki
Mars Subsurface Water Ice Mapping 2.0 data products and results Mars Subsurface Water Ice Mapping 2.0 data products and results
This work describes the results of the Mars Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) project, with results on the distribution of ice on Mars from geomorphic, radar, and thermal analyses.
Authors
Nathaniel E Putzig, Gareth A Morgan, Zachary M Bain, David M Hollibaugh Baker, Ali M Bramson, Samuel W Courville, Colin M. Dundas, Rachel H Hoover, Stefano Nerozzi, Asmin V Pathare, Matthew R Perry, Eric I Petersen, Hanna G Sizemore, Bruce A Campbell, Marco Mastrogiuseppe, Michael T. Mellon, Isaac B. Smith
Lava–water interaction and hydrothermal activity within the 2014–2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow Field, Iceland Lava–water interaction and hydrothermal activity within the 2014–2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow Field, Iceland
Lava that erupted during the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption in Iceland flowed into a proglacial river system, resulting in aqueous cooling of the lava and an ephemeral hydrothermal system. We carried out a monitoring study of this system from 2015 to 2018 to document the cooling of the lava over this time, using thermocouple measurements and data-logging sensors. The heat loss rate from...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Einat Lev, M. Elise Rumpf, Christopher W. Hamilton, Armann Hoskuldsson, Thorvaldur Thordarson
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 80
Availability of subsurface water-ice resources in the northern mid-latitudes of Mars Availability of subsurface water-ice resources in the northern mid-latitudes of Mars
Multiple nations and private entities are pushing to make landing humans on Mars a reality. The majority of proposed mission architectures envision ‘living off the land’ by leveraging Martian water-ice deposits for fuel production and other purposes. Fortunately for mission designers, water ice exists on Mars in plentiful volumes. The challenge is isolating accessible ice deposits within...
Authors
Gareth A Morgan, Nathaniel E Putzig, Matthew R Perry, Hanna G Sizemore, Ali M Bramson, Eric I Petersen, Zach M Bain, David M H Baker, Marco Mastrogiuseppe, Rachel H Hoover, Isaac B. Smith, Asmin V Pathare, Colin M. Dundas, Bruce A Campbell
Modern Mars' geomorphological activity, driven by wind, frost, and gravity Modern Mars' geomorphological activity, driven by wind, frost, and gravity
Extensive evidence of landform-scale martian geomorphic changes has been acquired in the last decade, and the number and range of examples of surface activity have increased as more high-resolution imagery has been acquired. Within the present-day Mars climate, wind and frost/ice are the dominant drivers, resulting in large avalanches of material down icy, rocky, or sandy slopes...
Authors
Serina Diniega, Ali M Bramson, Bonnie J. Buratti, Peter Buhler, Devon M. Burr, Matthew Chojnacki, Susan J. Conway, Colin M. Dundas, Candice J. Hansen, Alfred S. McEwen, Mathieu G.A. Lapotre, Joseph S. Levy, Lauren McKeown, Sylvain Piqueux, Ganna Portyankina, Christy Swann, Timothy N. Titus, Jacob Widmer
Widespread exposures of extensive clean shallow ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars Widespread exposures of extensive clean shallow ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars
Although ice in the Martian midlatitudes is typically covered by a layer of dust or regolith, it is exposed in some locations by fresh impact craters or in erosional scarps. In both cases, the exposed ice is massive or excess ice with a low lithic content. We find that erosional scarps occur between 50° and 61° north and south latitude and that they are concentrated in and near...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Michael T. Mellon, Susan J. Conway, Ingrid J. Daubar, Kaj E. Williams, Lujendra Ojha, James J. Wray, Ali Bramson, Shane Byrne, Alfred S. McEwen, Liliya Posiolova, Gunnar Speth, Donna Viola, Margaret E. Landis, Gareth A Morgan, Asmin V Pathare
Mars: Abundant recurring slope lineae (RSL) following the planet-encircling dust event (PEDE) of 2018 Mars: Abundant recurring slope lineae (RSL) following the planet-encircling dust event (PEDE) of 2018
Recurring slope lineae (RSL) are dark linear markings on Mars that regrow annually and likely originate from the flow of either liquid water or granular material. Following the great dust storm (or planet-encircling dust event, PEDE) of Mars year (MY) 34, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter/High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment has seen many more candidate RSL than in typical Mars years...
Authors
Alfred S. McEwen, Ethan I Schaefer, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Sutton, Leslie K Tamppari, Matthew Chojnacki
Mars Subsurface Water Ice Mapping 2.0 data products and results Mars Subsurface Water Ice Mapping 2.0 data products and results
This work describes the results of the Mars Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) project, with results on the distribution of ice on Mars from geomorphic, radar, and thermal analyses.
Authors
Nathaniel E Putzig, Gareth A Morgan, Zachary M Bain, David M Hollibaugh Baker, Ali M Bramson, Samuel W Courville, Colin M. Dundas, Rachel H Hoover, Stefano Nerozzi, Asmin V Pathare, Matthew R Perry, Eric I Petersen, Hanna G Sizemore, Bruce A Campbell, Marco Mastrogiuseppe, Michael T. Mellon, Isaac B. Smith
Lava–water interaction and hydrothermal activity within the 2014–2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow Field, Iceland Lava–water interaction and hydrothermal activity within the 2014–2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow Field, Iceland
Lava that erupted during the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption in Iceland flowed into a proglacial river system, resulting in aqueous cooling of the lava and an ephemeral hydrothermal system. We carried out a monitoring study of this system from 2015 to 2018 to document the cooling of the lava over this time, using thermocouple measurements and data-logging sensors. The heat loss rate from...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Einat Lev, M. Elise Rumpf, Christopher W. Hamilton, Armann Hoskuldsson, Thorvaldur Thordarson