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: 69
Maximizing the science and resource mapping potential of Orbital VSWIR Spectral measurements of Mars
The last 16 years witnessed a rapid growth in understanding the composition and aqueous alteration of Mars’ surface from orbital data from the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité (OMEGA) [1] and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) [2]. Both are sensitive to water-, hydroxyl-, sulfate-, and carbonate-bearing and ferric phases that record past l
Authors
Scott L. Murchie, Raymond E. Arvidson, Janice L Bishop, Wendy M. Calvin, John Carter, John Christian, Roger N. Clark, Colin M. Dundas, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Valerie K. Fox, Abigail A. Fraeman, Timothy A Goudge, Briony H. N. Horgan, Madison N Hughes, Ellen K Leask, Alfred S. McEwen, John F Mustard, Mario Parente, Kathryn E Powell, Frank P. Seelos, Kimberly D. Seelos, Jesse D Tarnas, Christina E Viviano, James J. Wray
GANGOTRI mission concept on the glacial key to the Amazonian climate of Mars
The GANGOTRI mission concept would investigate in situ the geologic origins of midlatitudinal Martian glaciers, as underlain by Amazonian climate evolution, by riddling the ice with a hybrid thermo-mechanical drill for deep englacial sampling. GANGOTRI would use regolith compositional measurements to characterize ice-regolith interaction, and stable isotope measurements to characterize fundamental
Authors
Suniti Karunatillake, Ali M Bramson, Kris Zacny, Colin M. Dundas, Lujendra Ojha, Oded Aharonson, Eran Vos, Don R Hood, A. Deanne Rogers, Joseph S. Levy, Peter Doran, Kathleen Mandt, Jack Wilson, Emily B Hughes, Heidi Fuqua-Haviland, Jeffrey Moersch, Scott M. Perl, Dewan E. Haque, J. R. Skok, Harish, S. Vijayan, A. Bhardwaj, Brent Christner, Hanna Sizemore, A Kereszturi, Norbert Schorghofer, Kurt Retherford, Paul Niles, Juan Manuel Lorenzo, Katherine Mesick, Heather Franz, Jose Rodriguez-Manfredi, Daniel Coupland, Peter Bertone
Mid-latitude ice on Mars: A science target for planetary climate histories and an exploration target for in situ resources
In the last decade, aided by the high-resolution data and long-term monitoring by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and other spacecraft, extensive evidence has emerged supporting the presence of abundant H2O ground ice throughout much of the mid-latitudes of Mars. Growing evidence indicates that much of this ice is relatively pure, exists within a few meters of the surface, and reaches low
Authors
Ali Bramson, Chimira Andres, Jonathan Bapst, Patricio Becerra, Samuel W Courville, Colin M. Dundas, Shannon M Hibbard, John W Holt, Suniti Karunatillake, Aditya Khuller, Michael T. Mellon, Gareth A Morgan, R. W. Obbard, Matthew R Perry, Eric I Petersen, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Hanna G Sizemore, Isaac B. Smith, David E Stillman, Paul Wooster
Current activity on the Martian surface: A key subject for future exploration
One of the fundamental discoveries in Mars science in the last decade has been the extent and importance of current surface activity. Recent results have shifted our view of Mars from a world where the most interesting geologic events were in the distant past (similar to the Moon) to a world that undergoes active evolution and one where understanding the present is key to deciphering the planet’s
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne, Matthew Chojnacki, Serina Diniega, Ingrid J. Daubar, Christopher W. Hamilton, Candice J. Hansen, Alfred S. McEwen, Ganna Portyankina, Hanna G Sizemore
Summary of the final report from the Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis group (ICE-SAG)
The Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis Group (ICE-SAG) was convened by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) in fall 2018, with the aims of (1) identifying and prioritizing fundamental science questions related to the recent and ongoing evolution of Mars volatiles and climate, and (2) exploring new mission approaches that could address these high-priority science questions du
Authors
Serina Diniega, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Shane Byrne, Wendy M. Calvin, Colin M. Dundas, Lori K. Fenton, Paul O. Hayne, David M H Baker, John W Holt, Christine S. Hvidberg, Melinda Kahre, Michael Mischna, Gareth A Morgan, Dorothy Oehler, Ganna Portyankina, A. Deanne Rogers, Hanna G Sizemore, Isaac B. Smith, Alejandro Soto, Leslie Tamppari, Timothy N. Titus, Chris Webster
A critical gap: In situ measurements of surface-atmosphere interactions from outside earth
This white paper demonstrates five points: (1) The lack of robust measurements of the vertical gradients of natural boundary layers and transport fluxes on other planetary bodies precludes adequate estimation of aeolian and other meteorological processes throughout our Solar System (§1). (2) Thus, there exist critical knowledge gaps within high-priority planetary science questions that motivate th
Authors
Serina Diniega, Devon M. Burr, Colin M. Dundas, Brian Jackson, Michael Mischna, Scot Rafkin, Isaac B. Smith, Robert Sullivan, Timothy N. Titus, Nathalie Vriend, Ian J. Walker, Kaj E. Williams
The Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) science goals and instrument trades in radar, imaging, and spectroscopy
The Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) was selected as one of NASA's 2019 Planetary Mission Concept Studies. The mission builds upon recent discoveries and current knowledge gaps linked to two primary scientific questions: (1) when did elements of the cryosphere form and how are ice deposits linked to current, recent, and ancient climate, and (2) how does the crust record t
Authors
Wendy M. Calvin, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Colin M. Dundas, Ali M Bramson, Briony H. N. Horgan, Kim D Seelos, Hanna G Sizemore, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Gareth A Morgan, John W Holt, Scott L. Murchie, G Wesley Patterson
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 regions t
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
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; sediment transpor
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
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 Milankovič crater i
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
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. They have be
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
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
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Filter Total Items: 69
Maximizing the science and resource mapping potential of Orbital VSWIR Spectral measurements of Mars
The last 16 years witnessed a rapid growth in understanding the composition and aqueous alteration of Mars’ surface from orbital data from the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité (OMEGA) [1] and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) [2]. Both are sensitive to water-, hydroxyl-, sulfate-, and carbonate-bearing and ferric phases that record past lAuthorsScott L. Murchie, Raymond E. Arvidson, Janice L Bishop, Wendy M. Calvin, John Carter, John Christian, Roger N. Clark, Colin M. Dundas, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Valerie K. Fox, Abigail A. Fraeman, Timothy A Goudge, Briony H. N. Horgan, Madison N Hughes, Ellen K Leask, Alfred S. McEwen, John F Mustard, Mario Parente, Kathryn E Powell, Frank P. Seelos, Kimberly D. Seelos, Jesse D Tarnas, Christina E Viviano, James J. WrayGANGOTRI mission concept on the glacial key to the Amazonian climate of Mars
The GANGOTRI mission concept would investigate in situ the geologic origins of midlatitudinal Martian glaciers, as underlain by Amazonian climate evolution, by riddling the ice with a hybrid thermo-mechanical drill for deep englacial sampling. GANGOTRI would use regolith compositional measurements to characterize ice-regolith interaction, and stable isotope measurements to characterize fundamentalAuthorsSuniti Karunatillake, Ali M Bramson, Kris Zacny, Colin M. Dundas, Lujendra Ojha, Oded Aharonson, Eran Vos, Don R Hood, A. Deanne Rogers, Joseph S. Levy, Peter Doran, Kathleen Mandt, Jack Wilson, Emily B Hughes, Heidi Fuqua-Haviland, Jeffrey Moersch, Scott M. Perl, Dewan E. Haque, J. R. Skok, Harish, S. Vijayan, A. Bhardwaj, Brent Christner, Hanna Sizemore, A Kereszturi, Norbert Schorghofer, Kurt Retherford, Paul Niles, Juan Manuel Lorenzo, Katherine Mesick, Heather Franz, Jose Rodriguez-Manfredi, Daniel Coupland, Peter BertoneMid-latitude ice on Mars: A science target for planetary climate histories and an exploration target for in situ resources
In the last decade, aided by the high-resolution data and long-term monitoring by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and other spacecraft, extensive evidence has emerged supporting the presence of abundant H2O ground ice throughout much of the mid-latitudes of Mars. Growing evidence indicates that much of this ice is relatively pure, exists within a few meters of the surface, and reaches lowAuthorsAli Bramson, Chimira Andres, Jonathan Bapst, Patricio Becerra, Samuel W Courville, Colin M. Dundas, Shannon M Hibbard, John W Holt, Suniti Karunatillake, Aditya Khuller, Michael T. Mellon, Gareth A Morgan, R. W. Obbard, Matthew R Perry, Eric I Petersen, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Hanna G Sizemore, Isaac B. Smith, David E Stillman, Paul WoosterCurrent activity on the Martian surface: A key subject for future exploration
One of the fundamental discoveries in Mars science in the last decade has been the extent and importance of current surface activity. Recent results have shifted our view of Mars from a world where the most interesting geologic events were in the distant past (similar to the Moon) to a world that undergoes active evolution and one where understanding the present is key to deciphering the planet’sAuthorsColin M. Dundas, Shane Byrne, Matthew Chojnacki, Serina Diniega, Ingrid J. Daubar, Christopher W. Hamilton, Candice J. Hansen, Alfred S. McEwen, Ganna Portyankina, Hanna G SizemoreSummary of the final report from the Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis group (ICE-SAG)
The Ice and Climate Evolution Science Analysis Group (ICE-SAG) was convened by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) in fall 2018, with the aims of (1) identifying and prioritizing fundamental science questions related to the recent and ongoing evolution of Mars volatiles and climate, and (2) exploring new mission approaches that could address these high-priority science questions duAuthorsSerina Diniega, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Shane Byrne, Wendy M. Calvin, Colin M. Dundas, Lori K. Fenton, Paul O. Hayne, David M H Baker, John W Holt, Christine S. Hvidberg, Melinda Kahre, Michael Mischna, Gareth A Morgan, Dorothy Oehler, Ganna Portyankina, A. Deanne Rogers, Hanna G Sizemore, Isaac B. Smith, Alejandro Soto, Leslie Tamppari, Timothy N. Titus, Chris WebsterA critical gap: In situ measurements of surface-atmosphere interactions from outside earth
This white paper demonstrates five points: (1) The lack of robust measurements of the vertical gradients of natural boundary layers and transport fluxes on other planetary bodies precludes adequate estimation of aeolian and other meteorological processes throughout our Solar System (§1). (2) Thus, there exist critical knowledge gaps within high-priority planetary science questions that motivate thAuthorsSerina Diniega, Devon M. Burr, Colin M. Dundas, Brian Jackson, Michael Mischna, Scot Rafkin, Isaac B. Smith, Robert Sullivan, Timothy N. Titus, Nathalie Vriend, Ian J. Walker, Kaj E. WilliamsThe Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) science goals and instrument trades in radar, imaging, and spectroscopy
The Mars Orbiter for Resources, Ices, and Environments (MORIE) was selected as one of NASA's 2019 Planetary Mission Concept Studies. The mission builds upon recent discoveries and current knowledge gaps linked to two primary scientific questions: (1) when did elements of the cryosphere form and how are ice deposits linked to current, recent, and ancient climate, and (2) how does the crust record tAuthorsWendy M. Calvin, Nathaniel E. Putzig, Colin M. Dundas, Ali M Bramson, Briony H. N. Horgan, Kim D Seelos, Hanna G Sizemore, Bethany L. Ehlmann, Gareth A Morgan, John W Holt, Scott L. Murchie, G Wesley PattersonAvailability 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 regions tAuthorsGareth 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 CampbellModern 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; sediment transporAuthorsSerina 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 WidmerWidespread 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 Milankovič crater iAuthorsColin 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 PathareMars: 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. They have beAuthorsAlfred S. McEwen, Ethan I Schaefer, Colin M. Dundas, Sarah S. Sutton, Leslie K Tamppari, Matthew ChojnackiMars 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.AuthorsNathaniel 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 - News