Mid-latitude water ice on Mars
Mid-latitude ground ice is a record of Martian climate and a strategic resource for crewed missions. My work uses orbital thermal infrared data (THEMIS-IR) and the KRC numerical thermal model to constrain where ice sits in the shallow subsurface — and to understand what thermal signatures reveal about ice-table depth that climate models still miss.
Current questions I'm chasing:
- How deep does ice sit in the mid-latitude shallow subsurface, and how can thermal infrared data constrain it?
- What small-scale surface structure at sub-kilometer scales can thermophysical modeling resolve?
- Where do current ice-stability models systematically disagree with observations, and why?
Mars surface thermophysics
Thermal inertia is the planetary scientist's stethoscope: from a single diurnal temperature curve you can infer particle size, induration, and layering meters below the surface. I develop forward models that pair with THEMIS and MCS retrievals to disentangle these contributions — particularly in terrains where standard homogeneous-regolith assumptions break down.
Tooling: KRC-style 1-D thermal models, custom Python pipelines for THEMIS night/day pair processing, and MCMC inversions for layered subsurface properties.
Science education & communication
A growing strand of my work designs Mars-data-driven learning experiences for middle-school and undergraduate audiences — turning datasets that normally live behind PDS download forms into classroom activities, interactive notebooks, and museum content. See the Outreach page for current programs.
Collaborators & instrument experience
I work with the THEMIS team at ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility. I have served as instrument operator and chamber operator for thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing on E-THEMIS (Europa Clipper), L'TES (Lucy), and EMIRS (Emirates Mars Mission "Hope Probe").