RESEARCH
I operate the Planetary Research, Earth and Space Science, Undergraduate Experience (PRESSURE) lab, which serves as an undergraduate-centered research experience. My research interests include....
Lava flow emplacement
I am interested in the propagation and morphology of lava flows. Specifically, I investigate how changes at the vent, flow composition, and rheology influence whether or not lava flows will advance or not*. The "or not" does not imply an inactive flow, but instead can include processes such as flow inflation (i.e., the endogenic thickening of the flow). Understanding lava flow behavior is critical for hazards mitigation and planetary surface evolution.
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Pictured (right): Piper Harring '25 presenting a pilot study of modeled lava flow eruption conditions on Mars at AGU 2024.
Volcanic vents
Thanks to high resolution image, topographic, and temporal data, we are able to identify, characterize, and quantify volcanic vents (i.e., identification, morphological classification, and dimensions) on several planetary surfaces. Small vents indicative of mild explosive eruptions constrain volatile concentrations in melts which have implications for planets such as the Moon, Mercury, and Mars.
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Pictured (left): linear depression interpreted as a fissure vent in Elysium volcanic region on Mars​
Volcanic rilles
Volcanic rilles are observed on the surfaces of all rocky planets in the inner solar system. The formation mechanism of these landforms is not necessarily universal. On the Earth and moon, sinuous rilles are thought to for from the thermal and/or mechanical erosion of the substrate by hot, low viscosity lavas. On Venus, rilles and canali may have formed from more exotic melts, such as carbonatite.
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Pictured (near right): Will McDonald '25.5 presents a study of volcanic rilles on select Martian shield volcanoes and tholi at LPSC 2025; (far right) Kijani Derenoncourt '26 emphatically explains her research of mapped volcanic rilles on the Tharsis Montes Rift Aprons at IAVCEI 2025.
Volcanic Worlds
Coming soon!