This dissertation explores the recent history of non-polar ice-rich paleodeposits on Mars, primarily through the analysis of pedestal craters. Pedestal craters are defined by having …
The nature of the early martian climate remains unsolved. Geologic evidence, including valley networks, paleolakes, and groundwater release, suggest that the long-lived (Noachian-spanning) early climate …
Diverse hydrous minerals have been identified on Mars and suggest a rich history of water-rock interactions in a variety of aqueous environments. Fe/Mg clays and …
The history of Mars’ paleoclimate is explored using sedimentary records from both the Noachian and Amazonian periods. Sedimentary structures indicative of a progradational delta are …
Under the current paradigm of Mars history, the planet is thought to have undergone a global climatic change, from relatively warm and wet conditions during …
A wealth of missions to Mars have shown sedimentary rocks are widespread and diverse across its surface. Traditional approaches to interpreting the terrestrial sedimentary rock …
While unstable on present-day Mars, liquid water was an important geologic agent in Mars' past. This work investigates the nature and timing of aqueous processes …
The nature of the early Mars climate is currently debated. Geologic evidence from valley networks and crater basin paleolakes suggests that early Mars (the Noachian …
This thesis studies the shergottite family of martian meteorites using a variety of experiments performed on natural and synthetic samples. The study determines the crystallization …
The nature of the early martian climate, hydrological cycle, and their relationship to the impact cratering process has remained enigmatic, but are critically important in …
The climatic history of Mars has been indirectly studied through the remote detection of minerals produced by chemical alteration across its surface. While the martian …
Orbital and landed investigations of Mars have revealed a variety of secondary minerals on the surface consistent with past surface or subsurface liquid water and …
The next few decades are expected to host a reinvigoration of planetary exploration by humans. The most likely targets for near-term human exploration include the …
Valley networks, many connecting voluminous paleolakes, dissect the martian highlands, but ceased activity ~3.7 billion years ago. The nature of the climate that allowed so …
Why are the planets of our Solar System so different, geologically? Volcanic, tectonic, and magnetic processes are responsible for many important features of the Earth, …
The state of the climate during the Late Noachian/Early Hesperian has been a longstanding question in Mars research. The abundant fluvial features and alteration minerals …