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Laszlo Kestay, Ph.D.

Laszlo Kestay is a planetary volcanologist at the US Geological Survey's Astrogeology Science Center.

Laszlo Kestay is a planetary volcanologist working for the US Geological Survey's Astrogeology Science Center. His last name was formerly Keszthelyi and this spelling is still used for his publications. He has worked for the USGS since 1991 but was only hired in 2003. He is member of the NASA MRO HiRISE and ESA ExoMars CaSSIS science teams.

Professional Experience

  • 2003-present, Research Geologist, Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey.  Studying volcanism across the Solar System with remote sensing, numerical modeling, and field studies. Involved in assessing natural resources across the Solar System and the hazards posed by meteorite impacts.

  • 2012-2018, Science Center Director, Astrogeology Science Center U.S. Geological Survey.  Manage the science center as it enables humankind's exploration of the Solar System with support for space missions from conception to beyond the grave.  

  • 2011, Associate Science Center Director for Technical Operations, Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey.  Overseeing the technical activities (cartography, software development, computer science, data archival, etc.) in the Astrogeology Science Center.

  • 2004-2007, Assistant Team Chief Scientist

  • 1994-1996, NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Hawaii at Manoa and U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.   Supervisor: Stephen Self

Education and Certifications

  • B.S., Mathematics, Summa Cum Laude, 1987, The University of Texas at Austin

  • B.S. with Honors, Geological Sciences (Geophysics Option), Summa Cum Laude, 1988, The University of Texas at Austin

  • M.S., Planetary Science, 1993, Caltech

  • Ph.D., Geology, 1994, Caltech. Thesis: On the Thermal Budget of Pahoehoe Lava Flows,   Advisor: Bruce C. Murray

Science and Products

No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 22
Image: Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater
Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater
Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater
Image: Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

View of the crater at the top of the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō cinder cone prior to the appearance of collapse pits in the flank of the cone.

By
Astrogeology Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Image: Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

View of the crater at the top of the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō cinder cone prior to the appearance of collapse pits in the flank of the cone.

By
Astrogeology Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 78

The cycles driving Io’s tectonics The cycles driving Io’s tectonics

Io is famous for its active volcanoes, but its vigorous tectonics, which are unlike Earth’s plate tectonics, are no less remarkable. The nature of Io’s thick, cold, brittle lithosphere has been revealed through decades of investigations. The dynamics of this system is most easily explained by considering three cycles: magmatic, tectonic, and sulfurous. The magmatic cycle transports heat...
Authors
Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Windy L Jaeger, Jani Radebaugh
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center

hical—The HiRISE radiometric calibration software developed within the ISIS3 planetary image processing suite hical—The HiRISE radiometric calibration software developed within the ISIS3 planetary image processing suite

Introduction This report summarizes the software and algorithms that are used to calibrate images returned by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft. The instrument design and data processing methods are summarized below, followed by a description of relevant calibration data and details of the calibration...
Authors
Kris J. Becker, Moses P. Milazzo, W. Alan Delamere, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Eric M. Eliason, Patrick S. Russell, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Alfred S. McEwen
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center

A geologic field guide to S P Mountain and its lava flow, San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona A geologic field guide to S P Mountain and its lava flow, San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona

Introduction We created this guide to introduce the user to the San Francisco Volcanic Field as a terrestrial analog site for planetary volcanic processes. For decades, the San Francisco Volcanic Field has been used to teach scientists to recognize the products of common types of volcanic eruptions and associated volcanic features. The volcanic processes and products observed in this...
Authors
Amber L. Gullikson, M. Elise Rumpf, Lauren A. Edgar, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, James A. Skinner, Lisa Thompson
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Astrogeology Science Center

A numerical model for the cooling of a lava sill with heat pipe effects A numerical model for the cooling of a lava sill with heat pipe effects

Understanding the cooling process of volcanic intrusions into wet sediments is a difficult but important problem, given the presence of extremely large temperature gradients and potentially complex water-magma interactions. This report presents a numerical model to study such interactions, including the effect of heat pipes on the cooling of volcanic intrusions. Udell (1985) has shown...
Authors
Kaj E. Williams, Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center

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
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Astrogeology Science Center

Compositional layering in Io driven by magmatic segregation and volcanism Compositional layering in Io driven by magmatic segregation and volcanism

The compositional evolution of volcanic bodies like Io is not well understood. Magmatic segregation and volcanic eruptions transport tidal heat from Io's interior to its surface. Several observed eruptions appear to be extremely high temperature (≥ 1600 K), suggesting either very high degrees of melting, refractory source regions, or intensive viscous heating on ascent. To address this...
Authors
Dan C Spencer, Richard F. Katz, Ian J. Hewitt, David A. May, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center

Science and Products

No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 22
Image: Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater
Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater
Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater
Image: Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

View of the crater at the top of the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō cinder cone prior to the appearance of collapse pits in the flank of the cone.

By
Astrogeology Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Image: Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

Pu’u ‘Ō’ō Crater

View of the crater at the top of the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō cinder cone prior to the appearance of collapse pits in the flank of the cone.

By
Astrogeology Science Center, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 78

The cycles driving Io’s tectonics The cycles driving Io’s tectonics

Io is famous for its active volcanoes, but its vigorous tectonics, which are unlike Earth’s plate tectonics, are no less remarkable. The nature of Io’s thick, cold, brittle lithosphere has been revealed through decades of investigations. The dynamics of this system is most easily explained by considering three cycles: magmatic, tectonic, and sulfurous. The magmatic cycle transports heat...
Authors
Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Windy L Jaeger, Jani Radebaugh
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center

hical—The HiRISE radiometric calibration software developed within the ISIS3 planetary image processing suite hical—The HiRISE radiometric calibration software developed within the ISIS3 planetary image processing suite

Introduction This report summarizes the software and algorithms that are used to calibrate images returned by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft. The instrument design and data processing methods are summarized below, followed by a description of relevant calibration data and details of the calibration...
Authors
Kris J. Becker, Moses P. Milazzo, W. Alan Delamere, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, Eric M. Eliason, Patrick S. Russell, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Alfred S. McEwen
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center

A geologic field guide to S P Mountain and its lava flow, San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona A geologic field guide to S P Mountain and its lava flow, San Francisco Volcanic Field, Arizona

Introduction We created this guide to introduce the user to the San Francisco Volcanic Field as a terrestrial analog site for planetary volcanic processes. For decades, the San Francisco Volcanic Field has been used to teach scientists to recognize the products of common types of volcanic eruptions and associated volcanic features. The volcanic processes and products observed in this...
Authors
Amber L. Gullikson, M. Elise Rumpf, Lauren A. Edgar, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, James A. Skinner, Lisa Thompson
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Astrogeology Science Center

A numerical model for the cooling of a lava sill with heat pipe effects A numerical model for the cooling of a lava sill with heat pipe effects

Understanding the cooling process of volcanic intrusions into wet sediments is a difficult but important problem, given the presence of extremely large temperature gradients and potentially complex water-magma interactions. This report presents a numerical model to study such interactions, including the effect of heat pipes on the cooling of volcanic intrusions. Udell (1985) has shown...
Authors
Kaj E. Williams, Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center

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
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Astrogeology Science Center

Compositional layering in Io driven by magmatic segregation and volcanism Compositional layering in Io driven by magmatic segregation and volcanism

The compositional evolution of volcanic bodies like Io is not well understood. Magmatic segregation and volcanic eruptions transport tidal heat from Io's interior to its surface. Several observed eruptions appear to be extremely high temperature (≥ 1600 K), suggesting either very high degrees of melting, refractory source regions, or intensive viscous heating on ascent. To address this...
Authors
Dan C Spencer, Richard F. Katz, Ian J. Hewitt, David A. May, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Astrogeology Science Center
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