PTYS/LPL Faculty
Christopher Hamilton
Ph.D., 2010, University of Hawaii
Years with LPL: 2014 to present
Astrobiology, Earth, Lunar Studies, Photogrammetry, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces, Volcanology
Dr. Hamilton's research focuses on geological surface processes to better understand the evolution of the Earth and other planetary bodies. His specialty relates to volcanology and specifically to lava flows, magma-water interactions, and explosive eruptions using a combination of field observations, remote sensing, geospatial analysis, machine learning, and geophysical modeling. These topics provide insight into the evolution of planetary interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres through magma production, ascent, and volcanism.
Current Grants
- "RAVEN: Rover–Aerial Vehicle Exploration Network", Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research Program (PI)
- "LIFE: Lava-Induced Fumarolic Environments”, EUROVOLC 2nd Transnational Access Call (PI)
- "Pattern to Process: Flood Basalt Emplacement Parameters and their Cross-Sectional Morphologies" JPL Strategic University Research Partnership Program (Co-PI)
- "3-D Modeling of a Secondary Ancient Lunar Atmosphere: the Effect on Volatile Distribution", NASA Solar System Workings (Co-I)
- "The Io Volcano Observer (IVO)", NASA Discovery Program, Phase A (Co-I)
- "Investigating Magma–Cryosphere Interactions and Outflow Channel Activity in Hebrus Valles, NASA Mars Data Analysis Program (Co-I)
- "Assessing the Formation and Implications of Self-Secondary Craters on Copernican Impact Ejecta" NASA Lunar Data Analysis Program (Co-I)
Current Graduate Students
Student Collaborations/Advising
Other Current Students
- Madison Tuohy , Graduate Student (Geosciences)
Former Students
- 2018–2022: Joana Voigt, Graduate Student (Planetary Sciences - Ph.D. received in 2022)
- 2016–2019: Amanda Stadermann, Graduate Student (Planetary Sciences - M.Sc. received in 2019)
- 2017–2018: Anna Schuh, Undergraduate Honors Student (Geosciences, B.Sc. received in 2018)
- 2016–2017: Jade Bowers, Undergraduate Honors Student (Geosciences, B.Sc. received in 2017)
Current Postdocs
Former Postdocs
- 2021-2024: Matthew Varnam
- 2015–2016: Michael Sori
- 2014–2015: Stephen Scheidt
- 2014–2015: Leon Palafox
Former Research/Staff Scientists
- 2016–2020t: Michael Sori
- 2015–2018: Stephen Scheidt
- 2015–2017: Leon Palafox
Based on Google Scholar and NASA ADS: NASA ADS Author Search: Christopher Hamilton
Recent refereed publications: Years 2019 through June 2024
Varnam, Matthew, Hamilton, Christopher W., Aleinov, Igor, & Barnes, Jessica J. 2024, Icarus. Composition and speciation of volcanic volatiles on the Moon
Hadland, Nathan, Hamilton, Christopher W., & Duhamel, Solange 2024, Communications Earth and Environment. Young volcanic terrains are windows into early microbial colonization
Sutton, S. S., Richardson, J. A., Whelley, P. L., Scheidt, S. P., & Hamilton, C. W. 2024, Bulletin of Volcanology. Degradation of the 2014-2015 Holuhraun vent-proximal edifice in Iceland
Voigt, J. R. C., Hamilton, C. W., Steinbrügge, G., Christoffersen, M. S., Nerozzi, S., Kerber, L., Holt, J. W., Carter, L. M. 2023, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Revealing Elysium Planitia's young geologic history: Constraints on lava emplacement, areas, and volumes
Duhamel, Solange, Hamilton, Christopher Ward, Pálsson, Snæbjörn, & Björnsdóttir, Snædís Huld 2022, Astrobiology. Microbial Response to Increased Temperatures Within a Lava-Induced Hydrothermal System in Iceland: An Analogue for the Habitability of Volcanic Terrains on Mars
Sutton, Sarah S., Chojnacki, Matthew, McEwen, Alfred S., Kirk, Randolph L., Dundas, Colin M., Schaefer, Ethan I., Conway, Susan J., Diniega, Serina, Portyankina, Ganna, Landis, Margaret E., Baugh, Nicole F., Heyd, Rodney, Byrne, Shane, Tornabene, Livio L., Ojha, Lujendra, & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2022, Remote Sensing. Revealing Active Mars with HiRISE Digital Terrain Models
Stadermann, Amanda C., Jolliff, Bradley L., Krawczynski, Michael J., Hamilton, Christopher W., & Barnes, Jessica J. 2022, Meteoritics and Planetary Science. Analysis and experimental investigation of Apollo sample 12032,366-18, a chemically evolved basalt from the Moon
Sutton, Sarah S., Hamilton, Christopher W., Cataldo, Vincenzo, Williams, David A., & Bleacher, Jacob E. 2022, Icarus. Sinuous channels east of Olympus Mons, Mars: Implications for volcanic, hydrological, and tectonic processes
Tolometti, G. D., Neish, C. D., Hamilton, C. W., Osinski, G. R., Kukko, A., & Voigt, J. R. C. 2022, Journal of Geophysical Research (Solid Earth). Differentiating Fissure-Fed Lava Flow Types and Facies Using RADAR and LiDAR: An Example From the 2014-2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow-Field
Voigt, Joana R. C., Hamilton, Christopher W., Steinbrügge, Gregor, Höskuldsson, Ármann, Jónsdottir, Ingibjörg, & Thordarson, Thorvaldur 2022, Geology. Linking lava morphologies to effusion rates for the 2014–2015 Holuhraun lava flow field, Iceland
Voigt, Joana R. C., Hamilton, Christopher W., Steinbrügge, Gregor, & Scheidt, Stephen P. 2021, Bulletin of Volcanology. Surface roughness characterization of the 2014-2015 Holuhraun lava flow-field in Iceland: implications for facies mapping and remote sensing
Voigt, Joana R. C., Hamilton, Christopher W., Scheidt, Stephen P., Münzer, Ulrich, Höskuldsson, Ármann, Jónsdottir, Ingibjörg, & Thordarson, Thorvaldur 2021, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. Geomorphological characterization of the 2014-2015 Holuhraun lava flow-field in Iceland
Lev, Einat, Hamilton, Christopher W., Voigt, Joana R. C., Stadermann, Amanda C., Zhan, Yan, & Neish, Catherine D. 2021, Icarus. Emplacement conditions of lunar impact melt flows
Horvath, David G., Moitra, Pranabendu, Hamilton, Christopher W., Craddock, Robert A., & Andrews-Hanna, Jeffrey C. 2021, Icarus. Evidence for geologically recent explosive volcanism in Elysium Planitia, Mars
Schaefer, E. I., Hamilton, C. W., Neish, C. D., Sori, M. M., Bramson, A. M., Beard, S. P. 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research (Solid Earth) Reexamining the Potential to Classify Lava Flows From the Fractality of Their Margins
Dundas, Colin M., Keszthelyi, Laszlo, Lev, Einat, Rumpf, M. Elise, Hamilton, Christopher W., Höskuldsson, Ármann, & Thordarson, Thorvaldur 2020, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. Lava-water interaction and hydrothermal activity within the 2014-2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow Field, Iceland
Steinbrügge, G., Voigt, J. R. C., Wolfenbarger, N. S., Hamilton, C. W., Soderlund, K. M., Young, D. A., Blankenship, D. D., Vance, S. D., & Schroeder, D. M. 2020, Geophysical Research Letters. Brine Migration and Impact-Induced Cryovolcanism on Europa
Hamilton, Christopher W., Scheidt, Stephen P., Sori, Michael M., de Wet, Andrew P., Bleacher, Jacob E., Mouginis-Mark, Peter J., Self, Stephen, Zimbelman, James R., Garry, W. Brent, Whelley, Patrick L., & Crumpler, Larry S. 2020, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets). Lava-Rise Plateaus and Inflation Pits in the McCartys Lava Flow Field, New Mexico: An Analog for Pāhoehoe-Like Lava Flows on Planetary Surfaces
Steinbrügge, G., Voigt, J. R. C., Schroeder, D. M., Stark, A., Haynes, M. S., Scanlan, K. M., Hamilton, C. W., Young, D. A., Hussmann, H., Grima, C., & Blankenship, D. D. 2020, Icarus. The surface roughness of Europa derived from Galileo stereo images
Bonnefoy, L. E., Hamilton, C. W., Scheidt, S. P., Duhamel, S., Höskuldsson, Á., Jónsdottir, I., Thordarson, T., & Münzer, U. 2019, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. Landscape evolution associated with the 2014-2015 Holuhraun eruption in Iceland
Hamilton, Chris & Rafikov, Roman R. 2019, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Secular dynamics of binaries in stellar clusters - II. Dynamical evolution
Hamilton, Chris & Rafikov, Roman R. 2019, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Secular dynamics of binaries in stellar clusters - I. General formulation and dependence on cluster potential
Hamilton, Chris & Rafikov, Roman R. 2019, The Astrophysical Journal. Compact Object Binary Mergers Driven By Cluster Tides: A New Channel for LIGO/Virgo Gravitational-wave Events
Morrison, Aaron A., Zanetti, Michael, Hamilton, Christopher W., Lev, Einat, Neish, Catherine D., & Whittington, Alan G. 2019, Icarus. Rheological investigation of lunar highland and mare impact melt simulants
- 'A Wild and Wonderful Opportunity' – Unexpected Eruption Enables Real-time Observation for Researchers Studying Volcanoes in Iceland - June 30, 2021
- Iceland's Newest Volcano Provides Insight into Mars - May 23, 2021
- Volcanoes on Mars Could be Active, Raising Possibility that Planet was Recently Habitable - May 6, 2021
- Iceland: The Wildcat Testing Ground - April 22, 2021
- Iceland’s Eruptions Reveal the Hot History of Mars - April 6, 2021
- This is How Iceland's Volcano Surprised an Expert - March 25, 2021
- How Microbes in Iceland Can Teach Us About Possible Life on Mars - March 9, 2021
- Watch Flight of the RAVEN - February 22, 2021
- A Wildcat in Iceland - February 3, 2021
- With $3M NASA Grant, UArizona Scientists Will Test Mars Exploration Drones in Iceland - January 13, 2021
- Plumes on Icy Worlds Hold Clues About What Lies Beneath - December 16, 2020
- Potential Plumes on Europa Could Come From Water in the Crust - November 13, 2020
- New Mexico Badlands Help Researchers Understand Past Martian Lava Flows - April 26, 2020
- The Volcano Watcher - August 9, 2019
- Exploring A Desert Portal to Other Worlds - July 9, 2019
- Christopher Hamilton Explores the Architecture of Other Worlds - September 26, 2018
- Team Gets Firsthand Look at the New Holuhraun Eruption Site - December 16, 2015
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Hamilton_CV_122020.pdf | 133.42 KB |
Semester | Course | Day/Time | Location | Resources | |
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Fall 2023 | PTYS 590-1 | Friday 3:00-5:00p.m. | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus D2L |
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Spring 2024 | PTYS/GEOS/HWRS 411-1 | Tuesday, Thursday 11:00a.m.-12:15p.m. | Kuiper 330 | Syllabus D2L |
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Fall 2025 | PTYS/GEOS 554-001 | Tuesday, Thursday 2:00-3:15p.m. | Kuiper 312 | D2L |
Semester | Course | Day/Time | Location | Resources | |
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Fall 2022 | PTYS 590-001 | Friday 3:00-5:00p.m. | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus D2L |
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Spring 2022 | PTYS/GEOS/HWRS 411-1 | Tuesday, Thursday 11:00a.m.-12:15p.m. | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus D2L |
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Fall 2021 | PTYS 590-1 | Friday 3:00-5:00p.m. | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus D2L |
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Spring 2020 | PTYS/GEOS/HWRS 411-1 | Tuesday, Thursday 12:30-1:45p.m. | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus | http://d2l.arizona.edu |
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Fall 2019 | PTYS 590-1 | Friday 3:00-5:00pm | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus | http://d2l.arizona.edu |
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Fall 2018 | PTYS 590-1 | Friday 4:00-5:00pm | Kuiper 312, Kuiper 312 | Syllabus | http://d2l.arizona.edu |
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Spring 2018 | PTYS/GEOS/HWRS 411-1 | Tuesday, Thursday 2:00 - 3:15PM | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus | http://d2l.arizona.edu |
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Fall 2017 | PTYS/ASTR 170A1-1 | Syllabus | http://d2l.arizona.edu |
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Fall 2017 | PTYS 590-1 | Friday 4:00-5:00pm | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus | https://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/wiki/Fieldtrip |
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Fall 2017 | PTYS 595B-1 | Friday 2:00-4:00pm | Kuiper 312 | Syllabus | http://d2l.arizona.edu |
View LPL Evening Lecture from November 24, 2015, Volcanism on Earth and Mars
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