Michael Bland, Ph.D.
Mike Bland is a research space scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center. His interests primarily lie in combining numerical models with planetary datasets to understand the thermal and tectonic evolution of ice-rich bodies.
Past and current research areas include:
- The mechanics of rifting in ice lithospheres (e.g., Ganymede and Enceladus)
- The formation of contractional features on icy bodies (e.g., Europa, Enceladus, Titan)
- Crater modification due to viscous relaxation (Enceladus and Ceres)
- Mountain formation on Io
- Differentiation of large icy satellites (Ganymede and Titan)
- Production of Ganymede's magnetic field
Professional Experience
Dawn at Ceres Guest Investigator
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Planetary Science, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ (2008)
BA Physics/Geology, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter MN (2002)
Honors and Awards
First Decade Award, Gustavus Adolphus College (2012)
NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (2007)
Gerard P. Kuiper Award, University of Arizona (2007)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 37
Improving the usability of Galileo and Voyager images of Jupiter’s moon, Europa Improving the usability of Galileo and Voyager images of Jupiter’s moon, Europa
NASA's Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and Galileo spacecraft acquired hundreds of images of Jupiter's moon Europa. These images provide the only moderate- to high-resolution views of the moon's surface and are therefore a critical resource for scientific analysis and future mission planning. Unfortunately, uncertain knowledge of the spacecraft's position and pointing during image acquisition...
Authors
Michael Bland, Lynn Weller, Brent A. Archinal, Ethan Smith, Benjamin Wheeler
A global shape model for Saturn's moon Enceladus from a dense photogrammetric control network A global shape model for Saturn's moon Enceladus from a dense photogrammetric control network
A planetary bodys global shape provides both insight into its geologic evolution, and a key element of any Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure (PSDI). NASAs Cassini mission to Saturn acquired more than 600 moderate- to high-resolution images ( 500 m/pixel) of the small, geologically active moon Enceladus. The moons internal global ocean and intriguing geology mark it as a candidate for...
Authors
Michael Bland, Lynn Weller, David Mayer, Brent A. Archinal
Planetary science decadal survey planetary mission concept study report: Ceres: Exploration of Ceres’ habitability Planetary science decadal survey planetary mission concept study report: Ceres: Exploration of Ceres’ habitability
Dwarf planet Ceres is a compelling target as an evolved ocean world with, at least, regional brine reservoirs and potentially ongoing geological activity. As the most water-rich body in the inner solar system (in relative abundance), it is a representative of the population of planetesimals that brought volatiles and organics to the inner solar system. Situated in the Main Belt of...
Authors
J. Castillo-Rogez, John Brody, Michael Bland, Debra Buczkowski, Robert Grimm, A. Hendrix, Kelly Miller, Thomas Prettyman, Lynnae Quick, Carol Raymond, Jennifer Scully, Michael Sori, Yasuhito Sekine, David Williams, Michael Zolensky
Dome formation on Ceres by sold-state flow analogous to terrestrial salt tectonics Dome formation on Ceres by sold-state flow analogous to terrestrial salt tectonics
The dwarf planet Ceres’s outer crust is a complex, heterogeneous mixture of ice, clathrates, salts and silicates. Numerous large domes on Ceres’s surface indicate a degree of geological activity. These domes have been attributed to cryovolcanism, but that is difficult to reconcile with Ceres’s small size and lack of long-lived heat sources. Here we alternatively propose that Ceres’s...
Authors
Michael Bland, D. Buczkowski, H. Sizemore, A. Ermakov, S. King, M. Sori, C. A. Raymond, J. Castillo-Rogez, C. T. Russell
The NASA Roadmap to Ocean Worlds The NASA Roadmap to Ocean Worlds
In this article, we summarize the work of the NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds (ROW) group. The aim of this group is to assemble the scientific framework that will guide the exploration of ocean worlds, and to identify and prioritize science objectives for ocean worlds over the next several decades. The overarching goal of an Ocean Worlds exploration...
Authors
A. Hendrix, T. Hurford, L.M. Barge, Michael Bland, J.S. Bowman, W. Brinckerhoff, B. J. Buratti, M. Cable, J. Castillo-Rogez, G. Collins, S. Diniega, C.R. German, A.G. Hayes, T.M. Hoehler, S. Hosseini, C. Howett, A.S. McEwen, C. Neish, M. Neveu, T.A. Nordheim, G.W. Patterson, Donald Patthoff, C. Phillips, A. Rhoden, B. Schmidt, K. Singer, J. Soderblom, S.D. Vance
Cryovolcanic rates on Ceres revealed by topography Cryovolcanic rates on Ceres revealed by topography
Cryovolcanism, defined here as the extrusion of icy material from depth, may be an important planetary phenomenon in shaping the surfaces of many worlds in the outer Solar System and revealing their thermal histories1,2,3. However, the physics, chemistry and ubiquity of this geologic process remain poorly understood, especially in comparison to the better-studied silicate volcanism on...
Authors
M. Sori, H. Sizemore, S. Byrne, A. M. Bramson, Michael Bland, N. Stein, C. T. Russell
Floor-fractured craters on Ceres and implications for interior processes Floor-fractured craters on Ceres and implications for interior processes
Several of the impact craters on Ceres have sets of fractures on their floors. These fractures appear similar to those found within a class of lunar craters referred to as floor-fractured craters (FFCs). We have cataloged the Ceres FFCs according to the classification scheme designed for the Moon. An analysis of the depth to diameter ratio for Ceres craters shows that, like lunar FFCs...
Authors
Debra Buczkowski, Hanna Sizemore, Michael Bland, Jennifer Scully, Lynnae Quick, Kynan H. G. Hughson, Ryan S. Park, F. Preusker, Carol Raymond, Christopher Russell
A new Enceladus global control network, image mosaic, and updated pointing kernels from Cassini's thirteen-year mission A new Enceladus global control network, image mosaic, and updated pointing kernels from Cassini's thirteen-year mission
NASA's Cassini spacecraft spent 13 years exploring the Saturn system, including 23 targeted flybys of the small, geologically active moon Enceladus. These flybys provided a wealth of image data from Cassini's Imaging Science Subsystem. To improve the usability of the Enceladus data set, we created a new, global photogrammetric control network for Enceladus that enabled compilation of a...
Authors
Michael Bland, Tammy Becker, Kenneth Edmundson, Thomas Roatsch, Brent A. Archinal, D. Takir, G. Patterson, G. Collins, P. Schenk, R. Pappalardo, Debbie Cook
Final Mimas and Enceladus atlases derived from Cassini-ISS images Final Mimas and Enceladus atlases derived from Cassini-ISS images
The Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) on-board Cassini took a few high-resolution images of the icy Saturnian satellites Mimas and Enceladus over the last seven years of the Cassini mission during non-targeted flybys. We used the new Mimas images to improve the existing semi-controlled mosaic of Mimas. A new controlled Enceladus mosaic was published recently (Bland et al., 2015; Bland et...
Authors
Thomas Roatsch, E. Kersten, K.-D. Matz, Michael Bland, Tammy Becker, Gerald Patterson, C. Porco
Relaxed impact craters on Ganymede: Regional variation and high heat flows Relaxed impact craters on Ganymede: Regional variation and high heat flows
Viscously relaxed craters provide a window into the thermal history of Ganymede, a satellite with copious geologic signs of past high heat flows. Here we present measurements of relaxed craters in four regions for which suitable imaging exists: near Anshar Sulcus, Tiamat Sulcus, northern Marius Regio, and Ganymede's south pole. We describe a technique to measure apparent depth, or depth...
Authors
Kelsi Singer, Michael Bland, Paul Schenk, William McKinnon
Ceres internal structure from geophysical constraints Ceres internal structure from geophysical constraints
Thermal evolution modeling has yielded a variety of interior structures for Ceres, ranging from a modestly differentiated interior to more advanced evolution with a dry silicate core, a hydrated silicate mantle, and a volatile‐rich crust. Here we compute the mass and hydrostatic flattening from more than one hundred billion three‐layer density models for Ceres and describe the...
Authors
S.J. King, J. Castillo-Rogez, M. Toplis, Michael Bland, C. Raymond, C. Russell
Bright carbonate surfaces on Ceres as remnants of salt-rich water fountains Bright carbonate surfaces on Ceres as remnants of salt-rich water fountains
Vinalia and Cerealia Faculae are bright and salt-rich localized areas in Occator crater on Ceres. The predominance of the near-infrared signature of sodium carbonate on these surfaces suggests their original material was a brine. Here we analyze Dawn Framing Camera's images and characterize the surfaces as composed of a central structure, either a possible depression (Vinalia) or a...
Authors
Ottavian Ruesch, Lynnae Quick, Margaret Landis, M.M. Sori, O. Cadek, P. Broz, K.A. Otto, Michael Bland, S. Byrne, J.C. Castillo-Rogez, H. Hiesinger, R. Jaumann, K. Krohn, L.A. McFadden, A. Nathues, A. Neesemann, F. Preusker, T. Roatsch, P.M. Schenk, J. Scully, M.V. Sykes, D.A. Williams, C.A. Raymond, C.T. Russell.
Non-USGS Publications**
Bland, M. T. 2013. Predicted crater morphologies on Ceres: Probing internal structure and evolution. Icarus, 226, 510-521.
Bland, M. T. and McKinnon, W. B., 2013. Does folding accommodate Europa’s contractional strain? The effect of surface temperature on fold formation in ice lithospheres. Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 2534-2538, doi:10.1002/grl.50506.
Bland, M. T., and McKinnon, W. B., 2012. Forming Europa’s folds: Strain requirements for the production of large-amplitude deformation. Icarus,221, 694-709.
Bland, M. T., Singer, K. S., McKinnon, W. B., and Schenk, P. M. 2012. Enceladus’ extreme heat flux as revealed by its relaxed craters. Geo. Res. Lett., 39, L17204, doi:10.1029/2012GL052736.
Bland, M. T., McKinnon, W. B., and Showman, A. P., 2010. The effects of strain localization on the formation of Ganymede’s grooved terrain. Icarus, 210, 396-410.
Bland, M. T., Showman, A. P., and Tobie, G., 2009. The orbital-thermal evolution and global expansion of Ganymede. Icarus, 200, 207-221.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 37
Improving the usability of Galileo and Voyager images of Jupiter’s moon, Europa Improving the usability of Galileo and Voyager images of Jupiter’s moon, Europa
NASA's Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and Galileo spacecraft acquired hundreds of images of Jupiter's moon Europa. These images provide the only moderate- to high-resolution views of the moon's surface and are therefore a critical resource for scientific analysis and future mission planning. Unfortunately, uncertain knowledge of the spacecraft's position and pointing during image acquisition...
Authors
Michael Bland, Lynn Weller, Brent A. Archinal, Ethan Smith, Benjamin Wheeler
A global shape model for Saturn's moon Enceladus from a dense photogrammetric control network A global shape model for Saturn's moon Enceladus from a dense photogrammetric control network
A planetary bodys global shape provides both insight into its geologic evolution, and a key element of any Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure (PSDI). NASAs Cassini mission to Saturn acquired more than 600 moderate- to high-resolution images ( 500 m/pixel) of the small, geologically active moon Enceladus. The moons internal global ocean and intriguing geology mark it as a candidate for...
Authors
Michael Bland, Lynn Weller, David Mayer, Brent A. Archinal
Planetary science decadal survey planetary mission concept study report: Ceres: Exploration of Ceres’ habitability Planetary science decadal survey planetary mission concept study report: Ceres: Exploration of Ceres’ habitability
Dwarf planet Ceres is a compelling target as an evolved ocean world with, at least, regional brine reservoirs and potentially ongoing geological activity. As the most water-rich body in the inner solar system (in relative abundance), it is a representative of the population of planetesimals that brought volatiles and organics to the inner solar system. Situated in the Main Belt of...
Authors
J. Castillo-Rogez, John Brody, Michael Bland, Debra Buczkowski, Robert Grimm, A. Hendrix, Kelly Miller, Thomas Prettyman, Lynnae Quick, Carol Raymond, Jennifer Scully, Michael Sori, Yasuhito Sekine, David Williams, Michael Zolensky
Dome formation on Ceres by sold-state flow analogous to terrestrial salt tectonics Dome formation on Ceres by sold-state flow analogous to terrestrial salt tectonics
The dwarf planet Ceres’s outer crust is a complex, heterogeneous mixture of ice, clathrates, salts and silicates. Numerous large domes on Ceres’s surface indicate a degree of geological activity. These domes have been attributed to cryovolcanism, but that is difficult to reconcile with Ceres’s small size and lack of long-lived heat sources. Here we alternatively propose that Ceres’s...
Authors
Michael Bland, D. Buczkowski, H. Sizemore, A. Ermakov, S. King, M. Sori, C. A. Raymond, J. Castillo-Rogez, C. T. Russell
The NASA Roadmap to Ocean Worlds The NASA Roadmap to Ocean Worlds
In this article, we summarize the work of the NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds (ROW) group. The aim of this group is to assemble the scientific framework that will guide the exploration of ocean worlds, and to identify and prioritize science objectives for ocean worlds over the next several decades. The overarching goal of an Ocean Worlds exploration...
Authors
A. Hendrix, T. Hurford, L.M. Barge, Michael Bland, J.S. Bowman, W. Brinckerhoff, B. J. Buratti, M. Cable, J. Castillo-Rogez, G. Collins, S. Diniega, C.R. German, A.G. Hayes, T.M. Hoehler, S. Hosseini, C. Howett, A.S. McEwen, C. Neish, M. Neveu, T.A. Nordheim, G.W. Patterson, Donald Patthoff, C. Phillips, A. Rhoden, B. Schmidt, K. Singer, J. Soderblom, S.D. Vance
Cryovolcanic rates on Ceres revealed by topography Cryovolcanic rates on Ceres revealed by topography
Cryovolcanism, defined here as the extrusion of icy material from depth, may be an important planetary phenomenon in shaping the surfaces of many worlds in the outer Solar System and revealing their thermal histories1,2,3. However, the physics, chemistry and ubiquity of this geologic process remain poorly understood, especially in comparison to the better-studied silicate volcanism on...
Authors
M. Sori, H. Sizemore, S. Byrne, A. M. Bramson, Michael Bland, N. Stein, C. T. Russell
Floor-fractured craters on Ceres and implications for interior processes Floor-fractured craters on Ceres and implications for interior processes
Several of the impact craters on Ceres have sets of fractures on their floors. These fractures appear similar to those found within a class of lunar craters referred to as floor-fractured craters (FFCs). We have cataloged the Ceres FFCs according to the classification scheme designed for the Moon. An analysis of the depth to diameter ratio for Ceres craters shows that, like lunar FFCs...
Authors
Debra Buczkowski, Hanna Sizemore, Michael Bland, Jennifer Scully, Lynnae Quick, Kynan H. G. Hughson, Ryan S. Park, F. Preusker, Carol Raymond, Christopher Russell
A new Enceladus global control network, image mosaic, and updated pointing kernels from Cassini's thirteen-year mission A new Enceladus global control network, image mosaic, and updated pointing kernels from Cassini's thirteen-year mission
NASA's Cassini spacecraft spent 13 years exploring the Saturn system, including 23 targeted flybys of the small, geologically active moon Enceladus. These flybys provided a wealth of image data from Cassini's Imaging Science Subsystem. To improve the usability of the Enceladus data set, we created a new, global photogrammetric control network for Enceladus that enabled compilation of a...
Authors
Michael Bland, Tammy Becker, Kenneth Edmundson, Thomas Roatsch, Brent A. Archinal, D. Takir, G. Patterson, G. Collins, P. Schenk, R. Pappalardo, Debbie Cook
Final Mimas and Enceladus atlases derived from Cassini-ISS images Final Mimas and Enceladus atlases derived from Cassini-ISS images
The Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) on-board Cassini took a few high-resolution images of the icy Saturnian satellites Mimas and Enceladus over the last seven years of the Cassini mission during non-targeted flybys. We used the new Mimas images to improve the existing semi-controlled mosaic of Mimas. A new controlled Enceladus mosaic was published recently (Bland et al., 2015; Bland et...
Authors
Thomas Roatsch, E. Kersten, K.-D. Matz, Michael Bland, Tammy Becker, Gerald Patterson, C. Porco
Relaxed impact craters on Ganymede: Regional variation and high heat flows Relaxed impact craters on Ganymede: Regional variation and high heat flows
Viscously relaxed craters provide a window into the thermal history of Ganymede, a satellite with copious geologic signs of past high heat flows. Here we present measurements of relaxed craters in four regions for which suitable imaging exists: near Anshar Sulcus, Tiamat Sulcus, northern Marius Regio, and Ganymede's south pole. We describe a technique to measure apparent depth, or depth...
Authors
Kelsi Singer, Michael Bland, Paul Schenk, William McKinnon
Ceres internal structure from geophysical constraints Ceres internal structure from geophysical constraints
Thermal evolution modeling has yielded a variety of interior structures for Ceres, ranging from a modestly differentiated interior to more advanced evolution with a dry silicate core, a hydrated silicate mantle, and a volatile‐rich crust. Here we compute the mass and hydrostatic flattening from more than one hundred billion three‐layer density models for Ceres and describe the...
Authors
S.J. King, J. Castillo-Rogez, M. Toplis, Michael Bland, C. Raymond, C. Russell
Bright carbonate surfaces on Ceres as remnants of salt-rich water fountains Bright carbonate surfaces on Ceres as remnants of salt-rich water fountains
Vinalia and Cerealia Faculae are bright and salt-rich localized areas in Occator crater on Ceres. The predominance of the near-infrared signature of sodium carbonate on these surfaces suggests their original material was a brine. Here we analyze Dawn Framing Camera's images and characterize the surfaces as composed of a central structure, either a possible depression (Vinalia) or a...
Authors
Ottavian Ruesch, Lynnae Quick, Margaret Landis, M.M. Sori, O. Cadek, P. Broz, K.A. Otto, Michael Bland, S. Byrne, J.C. Castillo-Rogez, H. Hiesinger, R. Jaumann, K. Krohn, L.A. McFadden, A. Nathues, A. Neesemann, F. Preusker, T. Roatsch, P.M. Schenk, J. Scully, M.V. Sykes, D.A. Williams, C.A. Raymond, C.T. Russell.
Non-USGS Publications**
Bland, M. T. 2013. Predicted crater morphologies on Ceres: Probing internal structure and evolution. Icarus, 226, 510-521.
Bland, M. T. and McKinnon, W. B., 2013. Does folding accommodate Europa’s contractional strain? The effect of surface temperature on fold formation in ice lithospheres. Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 2534-2538, doi:10.1002/grl.50506.
Bland, M. T., and McKinnon, W. B., 2012. Forming Europa’s folds: Strain requirements for the production of large-amplitude deformation. Icarus,221, 694-709.
Bland, M. T., Singer, K. S., McKinnon, W. B., and Schenk, P. M. 2012. Enceladus’ extreme heat flux as revealed by its relaxed craters. Geo. Res. Lett., 39, L17204, doi:10.1029/2012GL052736.
Bland, M. T., McKinnon, W. B., and Showman, A. P., 2010. The effects of strain localization on the formation of Ganymede’s grooved terrain. Icarus, 210, 396-410.
Bland, M. T., Showman, A. P., and Tobie, G., 2009. The orbital-thermal evolution and global expansion of Ganymede. Icarus, 200, 207-221.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.