Randolph L Kirk, Ph.D.
Randolph Kirk’s research interests span both geoscience and mapping of planetary bodies. He has participated in many missions to the Moon, Venus, Mars, asteroids, comets, and icy satellites. He helped direct planetary mapping at the USGS since the early 1990s, and has developed practical methods for topomapping by shape from shading and by adapting commercial stereo workstations to planetary use.
Recent Accomplishments
- In 2020, NASA's Mars 2020 rover Perseverance landed in Jezero crater at a site mapped by the Astrogeology Science Center. Perseverence was the ninth Mars lander or rover to go to a site we mapped, all of which landed successfully. (Starting in 1962, 10 Mars landings attempted without USGS mapping failed for a variety of reasons. Just days before Perseverence the Chinese landerTianwen-1 became the first such mission to succeed.) Perseverance also carried our maps onboard and used them to guide its final descent, a technological first.
- We are helping to design and caibrate the Europa Imaging System (EIS) cameras for NASA's Europa Clipper mission and to develop software and procedures for making controlled image and topographic maps. As part of this task, we invented and demonstrated a new technique for correcting distortions in frame images that are read out line-by-line so that they can be used for precision mapping.
- We have used stereo images of Mars obtained by different cameras with pixel scales differing up to 50x to assess the resolution and precision of digital topographic models obtained under real-world (Mars) conditions. We are currently using similar techniques with images of Earth’s Moon to quantify how topographic models can be improved by photoclinometry (shape from shading) techniques using one or multiple images.
Education
- Ph.D., Planetary Science, Minor in Physics, California Institute of Technology, January 1987
- M.S., Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, June 1984
- B.S., Physics, Stanford University, June 1981
Space Mission Participation
- Member, Europa Imaging System Science Team, May 2015–Present
- Member, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter CaSSIS Science Team, August 2010–Present
- Member, LRO and Chandrayaan-1 Mini-RF Science Teams, July 2006–Present
- Member, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE Science Team, December 2001–Present
- Member, Mars Exploration Rovers Science Team, August 2000–June 2018
- Associate, Deep Space 1 MICAS Science Team, March 2000–December 2002
- Participating Scientist, NEAR MSI/NIS Team, August 1999–July 2001
- Associate, Imager for Mars Pathfinder Science Team, July 1996–August 1998
- Member, Mars Express HRSC Science Team, January 2000–March 2020
- Associate, Mars 96 HRSC/WAOSS Science Team, March 1993–December 1996
- Member, Cassini RADAR Instrument Team, December 1990–September 2018
- Magellan Guest Investigator, October 1990–September 1994
- Associate, Voyager Imaging Science Team, 1989
Working Groups
- Member, IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coords & Rotational Elements, August 2012–present
- Member, NASA Lunar Geodesy/Cartography Working Group, December 2007–present
- Member, NASA Mars Geodesy/Cartography Working Group, June 1998–present
- Member, ISPRS Working Group “Planetary Mapping & Remote Sensing”, November 1996–present
- Chair, November 2000-October 2004, Co-Chair, Nove
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 161
Venus cartography
The entire surface of the planet Venus is being mapped at global and regional scales (1:50,000,000 through 1:1,500,000) with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), radar altimeter, and radiometer measurements of physical properties from the Magellan spacecraft. The mapping includes SAR image mosaics, shaded relief maps, and topographic contour overlays made from altimetry data and by radargrammetric meth
Authors
R. M. Batson, Randolph L. Kirk, Kathleen Edwards, H.F. Morgan
Coupling of volatile transport and internal heat flow on Triton
Recently Brown et al. (1991) showed that Triton's internal heat source could amount to 5–20% of the absorbed insolation on Triton, thus significantly affecting volatile transport and atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, Kirk and Brown (1991a) used simple analytical models of the effect of internal heat on the distribution of volatiles on Triton's surface, confirming the speculation of Brown et al.
Authors
Robert H. Brown, Randolph L. Kirk
Galileo Photometry of Asteroid 951 Gaspra
Galileo images of Gaspra make it possible for the first time to determine a main-belt asteroid's photometric properties accurately by providing surface-resolved coverage over a wide range of incidence and emission angles and by extending the phase angle coverage to phases not observable from Earth. We combine Earth-based telescopic photometry over phase angles 2° ≤ α ≤ 25° with Galileo whole-disk
Authors
P. Helfenstein, J. Veverka, P. C. Thomas, D.P. Simonelli, P. Lee, K. Klaasen, T. V. Johnson, H. Breneman, J.W. Head, S. Murchie, F. Fanale, M. Robinson, B. Clark, J. Granahan, H. Garbeil, A. S. McEwen, Randolph L. Kirk, M. Davies, G. Neukum, S. Mottola, R. Wagner, M. Belton, C. Chapman, C. Pilcher
Carbonate-Sulfate Volcanism on Venus?
Venusian canali, outflow channels, and associated volcanic deposits resemble fluvial landforms more than they resemble volcanic features on Earth and Mars. Some canali have meandering habits and features indicative of channel migration that are very similar to meandering river channels and flood plains on Earth, venusian outflow channels closely resemble water-carved outflow channels on Mars and t
Authors
Jeffrey S. Kargel, Randolph L. Kirk, Bruce Fegley, Allan H. Treiman
The Geology of Gaspra
The surface of Gaspra can be divided into several facets separated by ridges. Superimposed on the facets and ridges are two populations of craters. Type 1 craters are crisply defined and constitute a production function of impact origin. Type 2 craters are mostly irregular shallow depressions and probably of various origins. Some of the type 2 craters may have formed by impact and be remnants of a
Authors
M. H. Carr, Randolph L. Kirk, A. McEwen, J. Veverka, P. Thomas, J.W. Head, S. Murchie
Enhanced visualization for the interpretation of Magellan radar data: Supplement to the Magellan special issue
The differences of radar data from more familiar photographic images, coupled with the unique geologic characteristics of Venus's surface, can make interpretation of the standard Magellan data products difficult for both planetary scientists and nonspecialists. We describe a set of digital processing techniques for transforming individual remote‐sensing datasets in order to make the information th
Authors
Randolph L. Kirk, Laurence A. Soderblom, Ella M. Lee
The geology and distribution of impact craters on Venus: What are they telling us?
Magellan has revealed an ensemble of impact craters on Venus that is unique in many important ways. We have compiled a data base describing the 842 craters on 89% of Venus' surface mapped through orbit 2578. (The craters range in diameter from 1.5 to 280 km.) We have studied the distribution, size‐density, morphology, geology, and associated surface properties of these craters both in the aggregat
Authors
G. G. Schaber, R.G. Strom, H. J. Moore, Laurence A. Soderblom, Randolph L. Kirk, D.J. Chadwick, D.D. Dawson, Lisa R. Gaddis, J. M. Boyce, Joel F. Russell
Subsurface energy storage and transport for solar-powered geysers on Triton
The location of active geyser-like eruptions and related features close to the current subsolar latitude on Triton suggests a solar energy source for these phenomena. Solidstate greenhouse calculations have shown that sunlight can generate substantially elevated subsurface temperatures. A variety of models for the storage of solar energy in a sub-greenhouse layer and for the supply of gas and ener
Authors
Randolph L. Kirk, Robert H. Brown, Laurence A. Soderblom
Triton's geyser-like plumes: Discovery and basic characterization
At least four active geyser-like eruptions were discovered in Voyager 2 images of Triton, Neptune's large satellite. The two best documented eruptions occur as columns of dark material rising to an altitude of about 8 kilometers where dark clouds of material are left suspended to drift downwind over 100 kilometers. The radii of the rising columns appear to be in the range of several tens of meters
Authors
Laurence A. Soderblom, S. W. Kieffer, T.L. Becker, R. H. Brown, A.F. Cook, C.J. Hansen, T. V. Johnson, Randolph L. Kirk, E.M. Shoemaker
Energy sources for triton's geyser-like plumes
Four geyser-like plumes were discovered near Triton's south pole in areas now in permanent sunlight. Because Triton's southern hemisphere is nearing a maximum summer solstice, insolation as a driver or a trigger for Triton's geyser-like plumes is an attractive hypothesis. Trapping of solar radiation in a translucent, low-conductivity surface layer (in a solid-state greenhouse), which is subsequent
Authors
R. H. Brown, Randolph L. Kirk, T. V. Johnson, Laurence A. Soderblom
Voyager 2 at Neptune: Imaging science results
Voyager 2 images of Neptune reveal a windy planet characterized by bright clouds of methane ice suspended in an exceptionally clear atmosphere above a lower deck of hydrogen sulfide or ammonia ices. Neptune's atmosphere is dominated by a large anticyclonic storm system that has been named the Great Dark Spot (GDS). About the same size as Earth in extent, the GDS bears both many similarities and so
Authors
B.A. Smith, Laurence A. Soderblom, D. Banfield, C. Barnet, A.T. Basilevsky, R.F. Beebe, K. Bollinger, J. M. Boyce, A. Brahic, G.A. Briggs, R. H. Brown, C. Chyba, S.A. Collins, T. Colvin, A.F. Cook, D. Crisp, S.K. Croft, D. Cruikshank, J.N. Cuzzi, G. E. Danielson, M. E. Davies, E. DeJong, L. Dones, D. Godfrey, J. Goguen, I. Grenier, V. Haemmerle, H. Hammel, C.J. Hansen, C.P. Helfenstein, C. Howell, G.E. Hunt, A.P. Ingersoll, T. V. Johnson, J. Kargel, Randolph L. Kirk, D.I. Kuehn, S. Limaye, H. Masursky, A. McEwen, D. Morrison, T. Owen, W. Owen, J. B. Pollack, C.C. Porco, K. Rages, P. Rogers, D. Rudy, C. Sagan, J. Schwartz, E.M. Shoemaker, M. Showalter, B. Sicardy, D. Simonelli, J. Spencer, L.A. Sromovsky, C. Stoker, R.G. Strom, V.E. Suomi, S.P. Synott, R.J. Terrile, P. Thomas, W.R. Thompson, A. Verbiscer, J. Veverka
The competition between thermal contraction and differentiation in the stress history of the Moon
The scarcity of both extension and compression features on the Moon strongly constrains the history of the lunar radius—to variations of less than ±1 km over the past 3.8 Gyr. This limit has traditionally been interpreted as requiring a delicate balance between thermal contraction of the near‐surface and expansion of a substantial cold interior region. Recent theories of lunar origin (e.g., giant
Authors
Randolph L. Kirk, David J. Stevenson
Science and Products
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- Publications
Filter Total Items: 161
Venus cartography
The entire surface of the planet Venus is being mapped at global and regional scales (1:50,000,000 through 1:1,500,000) with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), radar altimeter, and radiometer measurements of physical properties from the Magellan spacecraft. The mapping includes SAR image mosaics, shaded relief maps, and topographic contour overlays made from altimetry data and by radargrammetric methAuthorsR. M. Batson, Randolph L. Kirk, Kathleen Edwards, H.F. MorganCoupling of volatile transport and internal heat flow on Triton
Recently Brown et al. (1991) showed that Triton's internal heat source could amount to 5–20% of the absorbed insolation on Triton, thus significantly affecting volatile transport and atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, Kirk and Brown (1991a) used simple analytical models of the effect of internal heat on the distribution of volatiles on Triton's surface, confirming the speculation of Brown et al.AuthorsRobert H. Brown, Randolph L. KirkGalileo Photometry of Asteroid 951 Gaspra
Galileo images of Gaspra make it possible for the first time to determine a main-belt asteroid's photometric properties accurately by providing surface-resolved coverage over a wide range of incidence and emission angles and by extending the phase angle coverage to phases not observable from Earth. We combine Earth-based telescopic photometry over phase angles 2° ≤ α ≤ 25° with Galileo whole-diskAuthorsP. Helfenstein, J. Veverka, P. C. Thomas, D.P. Simonelli, P. Lee, K. Klaasen, T. V. Johnson, H. Breneman, J.W. Head, S. Murchie, F. Fanale, M. Robinson, B. Clark, J. Granahan, H. Garbeil, A. S. McEwen, Randolph L. Kirk, M. Davies, G. Neukum, S. Mottola, R. Wagner, M. Belton, C. Chapman, C. PilcherCarbonate-Sulfate Volcanism on Venus?
Venusian canali, outflow channels, and associated volcanic deposits resemble fluvial landforms more than they resemble volcanic features on Earth and Mars. Some canali have meandering habits and features indicative of channel migration that are very similar to meandering river channels and flood plains on Earth, venusian outflow channels closely resemble water-carved outflow channels on Mars and tAuthorsJeffrey S. Kargel, Randolph L. Kirk, Bruce Fegley, Allan H. TreimanThe Geology of Gaspra
The surface of Gaspra can be divided into several facets separated by ridges. Superimposed on the facets and ridges are two populations of craters. Type 1 craters are crisply defined and constitute a production function of impact origin. Type 2 craters are mostly irregular shallow depressions and probably of various origins. Some of the type 2 craters may have formed by impact and be remnants of aAuthorsM. H. Carr, Randolph L. Kirk, A. McEwen, J. Veverka, P. Thomas, J.W. Head, S. MurchieEnhanced visualization for the interpretation of Magellan radar data: Supplement to the Magellan special issue
The differences of radar data from more familiar photographic images, coupled with the unique geologic characteristics of Venus's surface, can make interpretation of the standard Magellan data products difficult for both planetary scientists and nonspecialists. We describe a set of digital processing techniques for transforming individual remote‐sensing datasets in order to make the information thAuthorsRandolph L. Kirk, Laurence A. Soderblom, Ella M. LeeThe geology and distribution of impact craters on Venus: What are they telling us?
Magellan has revealed an ensemble of impact craters on Venus that is unique in many important ways. We have compiled a data base describing the 842 craters on 89% of Venus' surface mapped through orbit 2578. (The craters range in diameter from 1.5 to 280 km.) We have studied the distribution, size‐density, morphology, geology, and associated surface properties of these craters both in the aggregatAuthorsG. G. Schaber, R.G. Strom, H. J. Moore, Laurence A. Soderblom, Randolph L. Kirk, D.J. Chadwick, D.D. Dawson, Lisa R. Gaddis, J. M. Boyce, Joel F. RussellSubsurface energy storage and transport for solar-powered geysers on Triton
The location of active geyser-like eruptions and related features close to the current subsolar latitude on Triton suggests a solar energy source for these phenomena. Solidstate greenhouse calculations have shown that sunlight can generate substantially elevated subsurface temperatures. A variety of models for the storage of solar energy in a sub-greenhouse layer and for the supply of gas and enerAuthorsRandolph L. Kirk, Robert H. Brown, Laurence A. SoderblomTriton's geyser-like plumes: Discovery and basic characterization
At least four active geyser-like eruptions were discovered in Voyager 2 images of Triton, Neptune's large satellite. The two best documented eruptions occur as columns of dark material rising to an altitude of about 8 kilometers where dark clouds of material are left suspended to drift downwind over 100 kilometers. The radii of the rising columns appear to be in the range of several tens of metersAuthorsLaurence A. Soderblom, S. W. Kieffer, T.L. Becker, R. H. Brown, A.F. Cook, C.J. Hansen, T. V. Johnson, Randolph L. Kirk, E.M. ShoemakerEnergy sources for triton's geyser-like plumes
Four geyser-like plumes were discovered near Triton's south pole in areas now in permanent sunlight. Because Triton's southern hemisphere is nearing a maximum summer solstice, insolation as a driver or a trigger for Triton's geyser-like plumes is an attractive hypothesis. Trapping of solar radiation in a translucent, low-conductivity surface layer (in a solid-state greenhouse), which is subsequentAuthorsR. H. Brown, Randolph L. Kirk, T. V. Johnson, Laurence A. SoderblomVoyager 2 at Neptune: Imaging science results
Voyager 2 images of Neptune reveal a windy planet characterized by bright clouds of methane ice suspended in an exceptionally clear atmosphere above a lower deck of hydrogen sulfide or ammonia ices. Neptune's atmosphere is dominated by a large anticyclonic storm system that has been named the Great Dark Spot (GDS). About the same size as Earth in extent, the GDS bears both many similarities and soAuthorsB.A. Smith, Laurence A. Soderblom, D. Banfield, C. Barnet, A.T. Basilevsky, R.F. Beebe, K. Bollinger, J. M. Boyce, A. Brahic, G.A. Briggs, R. H. Brown, C. Chyba, S.A. Collins, T. Colvin, A.F. Cook, D. Crisp, S.K. Croft, D. Cruikshank, J.N. Cuzzi, G. E. Danielson, M. E. Davies, E. DeJong, L. Dones, D. Godfrey, J. Goguen, I. Grenier, V. Haemmerle, H. Hammel, C.J. Hansen, C.P. Helfenstein, C. Howell, G.E. Hunt, A.P. Ingersoll, T. V. Johnson, J. Kargel, Randolph L. Kirk, D.I. Kuehn, S. Limaye, H. Masursky, A. McEwen, D. Morrison, T. Owen, W. Owen, J. B. Pollack, C.C. Porco, K. Rages, P. Rogers, D. Rudy, C. Sagan, J. Schwartz, E.M. Shoemaker, M. Showalter, B. Sicardy, D. Simonelli, J. Spencer, L.A. Sromovsky, C. Stoker, R.G. Strom, V.E. Suomi, S.P. Synott, R.J. Terrile, P. Thomas, W.R. Thompson, A. Verbiscer, J. VeverkaThe competition between thermal contraction and differentiation in the stress history of the Moon
The scarcity of both extension and compression features on the Moon strongly constrains the history of the lunar radius—to variations of less than ±1 km over the past 3.8 Gyr. This limit has traditionally been interpreted as requiring a delicate balance between thermal contraction of the near‐surface and expansion of a substantial cold interior region. Recent theories of lunar origin (e.g., giantAuthorsRandolph L. Kirk, David J. Stevenson