Alfred McEwen

PTYS/LPL Faculty

Sonett 204

Administrative Support:

Alfred McEwen

Ph.D., 1988, Arizona State University

Years with LPL: 1996 to present

Astrobiology, Lunar Studies, Photogrammetry, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces

Dr. McEwen is a planetary geologist and director of the Planetary Image Research Laboratory (PIRL). He is working on several active spacecraft experiments, listed below.

His major research interest is understanding active geologic processes such as volcanism, impact cratering, and slope processes. For Mars and the Moon he is studying a broad range of topics in planetary geology. He is also pursuing studies and proposals for future missions and experiments at Earth and to Jupiter's moons Io and Europa.

Current Grants

  • HiRISE: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: NASA/JPL
  • LROC: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: NASA/GSFC
  • Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS): ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter: ESA
  • Europa Imaging System (EIS): Europa Clipper: NASA/APL

Current Spacecraft Involvement

Cassini Mission, Clementine, Europa Clipper, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, Galileo, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Voyager

Former Spacecraft Involvement

  • Participating scientist on Mars Odyssey THEMIS
  • Participating scientist on Mars Global Surveyor MOC
  • Interdisciplinary Scientist on the Galileo mission to Jupiter
  • Science team member on the Clementine mission to the Moon
  • Guest Investigator for the Voyager Neptune encounter
  • Principal Investigator of the High-resolution Stereo Color Imager (HiSCI) on the ESA/NASA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)
  • Member of the imaging science team of the Cassini mission to Saturn, 1990-2018
  • Principal Investigator of the Io Volcano Observer (IVO) Phase A study in 2020

Student Collaborations/Advising

Former Students

  • Mackenzie Mills, 2024 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Cecilia Leung, 2020 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Ethan Schaefer, 2018 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Corwin Atwood-Stone, 2018 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Donna Viola, 2017 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Ingrid Daubar, 2014 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Maria Banks, 2009 (Ph.D. Geosciences)
  • Colin Dundas, 2009 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Andrea Jones, 2009 (M.S. Geosciences)
  • Kelly Kolb, 2008 (M.S. PTYS), 2009 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Stephanie Fussner, 2006 (M.S. PTYS)
  • Moses Milazzo, 2005 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Brandon Preblich, 2005 (M.S. PTYS)
  • Jani Radebaugh, 2005 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Ross Beyer, 2004 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Peter Lanagan, 2004 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Cynthia Phillips, 2000 (Ph.D. PTYS)
  • Jennifer Grier, 1999 (Ph.D. PTYS)

Former Postdocs

  • Veronica Bray
  • Matthew Chojnacki
  • Colin Dundas
  • Jennifer Fernando
  • Lazslo Keszthelyi
  • Elizabeth Turtle
  • Marion Masse
  • Chris Okubo
  • Livio Tornabene

Former Research/Staff Scientists

  • Veronica Bray
  • Matt Chojnacki

Based on Google Scholar and NASA ADS: NASA ADS Author search: Alfred S. McEwen

Recent refereed publications: Years 2019 through June 2024

Valantinas, A., Thomas, A. Pommerol, O. Karatekin, L. Ruiz Lozano, C. B. Senel, O. Temel, E. Hauber, D. Tirsch, V. T. Bickel, G. Munaretto, M. Pajola, F. Oliva, F. Schmidt, I. Thomas, A. S. McEwen, M. Almeida, M. Read, V. G. Rangarajan, M. R. El-Maarry, C. Re, F. G. Carrozzo, E. D’Aversa, F. Daerden, B. Ristic, M. R. Patel, G. Bellucci, J. J. Lopez-Moreno, A. C. Vandaele & G. Cremonese, 2024, Nature Geoscience. Evidence for transient morning water frost deposits on the Tharsis volcanoes of Mars

Vance, Steven D., Craft, Kathleen L., Shock, Everett, Schmidt, Britney E., Lunine, Jonathan, Hand, Kevin P., McKinnon, William B., Spiers, Elizabeth M., Chivers, Chase, Lawrence, Justin D., Wolfenbarger, Natalie, Leonard, Erin J., Robinson, Kirtland J., Styczinski, Marshall J., Persaud, Divya M., Steinbrügge, Gregor, Zolotov, Mikhail Y., Quick, Lynnae C., Scully, Jennifer E. C., Becker, Tracy M., Howell, Samuel M., Clark, Roger N., Dombard, Andrew J., Glein, Christopher R., Mousis, Olivier, Sephton, Mark A., Castillo-Rogez, Julie, Nimmo, Francis, McEwen, Alfred S., Gudipati, Murthy S., Jun, Insoo, Jia, Xianzhe, Postberg, Frank, Soderlund, Krista M., & Elder, Catherine M. 2023, Space Science Reviews. Investigating Europa's Habitability with the Europa Clipper

Almeida, M., Read, M., Thomas, N., Cremonese, G., Becerra, P., Borrini, G., Byrne, S., Gruber, M., Heyd, R., Marriner, C. M., McArthur, G., McEwen, A. S., Pommerol, A., Perry, J., & Schaller, C. 2023, Planetary and Space Science. Targeting and image acquisition of Martian surface features with TGO/CaSSIS

McEwen, A.S., Haapala, A.F., Keszthelyi, L.P., Mandt, K.E. 2023, Astrophysics and Space Science Library. Outstanding Questions and Future Observations of Io. In: Lopes, R.M.C., de Kleer, K., Tuttle Keane, J. (eds) Io: A New View of Jupiter’s Moon

Dundas, Colin M., Mellon, Michael T., Posiolova, Liliya V., Miljković, Katarina, Collins, Gareth S., Tornabene, Livio L., Rangarajan, Vidhya Ganesh, Golombek, Matthew P., Warner, Nicholas H., Daubar, Ingrid J., Byrne, Shane, McEwen, Alfred S., Seelos, Kimberly D., Viola, Donna, Bramson, Ali M., & Speth, Gunnar 2023, Geophysical Research Letters. A Large New Crater Exposes the Limits of Water Ice on Mars

Perry, Jason E., Heyd, Rodney, Read, Matthew, Tornabene, Livio L., Sutton, Sarah S., Byrne, Shane, Thomas, Nicolas, Fennema, Audrie, McEwen, Alfred, & Berry, Kristin 2022, Planetary and Space Science. Geometric processing of TGO CaSSIS observations

Pommerol, A., Thomas, N., Almeida, M., Read, M., Becerra, P., Cesar, C., Valantinas, A., Simioni, E., McEwen, A. S., Perry, J., Marriner, C., Munaretto, G., Pajola, M., Tornabene, L., Mège, D., Da Deppo, V., Re, C., & Cremonese, G. 2022, Planetary and Space Science. In-flight radiometric calibration of the ExoMars TGO Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System

Sutton, Sarah S. and Chojnacki, Matthew and McEwen, Alfred S. and Kirk, Randolph L. and Dundas, Colin M. and Schaefer, Ethan I. and Conway, Susan J. and Diniega, Serina and Portyankina, Ganna and Landis, Margaret E. and Baugh, Nicole F. and Heyd, Rodney and Byrne, Shane and Tornabene, Livio L. and Ojha, Lujendra and Hamilton, Christopher W. 2022, Remote Sensing. Revealing Active Mars with HiRISE Digital Terrain Models

MacKenzie, Shannon M., Neveu, Marc, Davila, Alfonso F., Lunine, Jonathan I., Cable, Morgan L., Phillips-Lander, Charity M., Eigenbrode, Jennifer L., Waite, J. Hunter, Craft, Kate L., Hofgartner, Jason D., McKay, Chris P., Glein, Christopher R., Burton, Dana, Kounaves, Samuel P., Mathies, Richard A., Vance, Steven D., Malaska, Michael J., Gold, Robert, German, Christopher R., Soderlund, Krista M., Willis, Peter, Freissinet, Caroline, McEwen, Alfred S., Brucato, John Robert, de Vera, Jean-Pierre P., Hoehler, Tori M., & Heldmann, Jennifer 2022, Astrobiology. Science Objectives for Flagship-Class Mission Concepts for the Search for Evidence of Life at Enceladus

Munaretto, G., Pajola, M., Lucchetti, A., Cremonese, G., Simioni, E., Re, C., Bertoli, S., Tornabene, L., McEwen, A. S., Becerra, P., Rangarajan, V. G., Valantinas, A., Pommerol, A., Thomas, N., & Portyankina, G. 2022, Planetary and Space Science. Multiband photometry of Martian Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) and dust-removed features at Horowitz crater, Mars from TGO/CaSSIS color observations

Valantinas, A., Becerra, P., Pommerol, A., Tornabene, L. L., Affolter, L., Cremonese, G., Hauber, E., McEwen, A. S., Munaretto, G., Pajola, M., Bowen, A. Parkes, Patel, M. R., Rangarajan, V. G., Schorghofer, N., & Thomas, N. 2021, Planetary and Space Science. CaSSIS Color and multi-angular observations of martian slope streaks

Krasner, Sanford M., Bruvold, Kristoffer, Call, Jared A., Fieseler, Paul D., Klesh, Andrew T., Michael Kobayashi, M., Lay, Norman E., Lim, Ryan S., Morabito, David D., Oudrhiri, Kamal, Wallace, Mark, Grimes, Andrew H., Palagi, Timothy, Litton, Daniel K., Signori, Gina M., & McEwen, Alfred S. 2021, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. Reconstruction of Entry, Descent, and Landing Communications for the InSight Mars Lander

Mills, Mackenzie M., McEwen, Alfred S., & Okubo, Chris H. 2021, Geophysical Research Letters. A Preliminary Regional Geomorphologic Map in Utopia Planitia of the Tianwen-1 Zhurong Landing Region

Cable, Morgan L., Porco, Carolyn, Glein, Christopher R., German, Christopher R., MacKenzie, Shannon M., Neveu, Marc, Hoehler, Tori M., Hofmann, Amy E., Hendrix, Amanda R., Eigenbrode, Jennifer, Postberg, Frank, Spilker, Linda J., McEwen, Alfred, Khawaja, Nozair, Hunter Waite, J., Wurz, Peter, Helbert, Jörn, Anbar, Ariel, de Vera, Jean-Pierre, & Núñez, Jorge 2021, The Planetary Science Journal. The Science Case for a Return to Enceladus

Dundas, Colin M., Becerra, Patricio, Byrne, Shane, Chojnacki, Matthew, Daubar, Ingrid J., Diniega, Serina, Hansen, Candice J., Herkenhoff, Kenneth E., Landis, Margaret E., McEwen, Alfred S., Portyankina, Ganna, & Valantinas, Adomas 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets). Active Mars: A Dynamic World

Diniega, S., Bramson, A. M., Buratti, B., Buhler, P., Burr, D. M., Chojnacki, M., Conway, S. J., Dundas, C. M., Hansen, C. J., McEwen, A. S., Lapôtre, M. G. A., Levy, J., Mc Keown, L., Piqueux, S., Portyankina, G., Swann, C., Titus, T. N., Widmer, J. M. 2021, Geomorphology Modern Mars' geomorphological activity, driven by wind, frost, and gravity

McEwen, A. S., Schaefer, E. I., Dundas, C. M., Sutton, S. S., Tamppari, L. K., Chojnacki, M. 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets) Mars: Abundant Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) Following the Planet Encircling Dust Event (PEDE) of 2018

Dundas, C. M., Mellon, M. T., Conway, S. J., Daubar, I. J., Williams, K. E., Ojha, L., Wray, J. J., Bramson, A. M., Byrne, S., McEwen, A. S., Posiolova, L. V., Speth, G., Viola, D., Landis, M. E., Morgan, G. A., Pathare, A. V. 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets) Widespread Exposures of Extensive Clean Shallow Ice in the Midlatitudes of Mars

Park, Ryan S., Riedel, Joseph E., Ermakov, Anton I., Roa, Javier, Castillo-Rogez, Julie, Davies, Ashley G., McEwen, Alfred S., & Watkins, Michael M. 2020, Planetary and Space Science. Advanced Pointing Imaging Camera (APIC) for planetary science and mission opportunities

Golombek, M., Williams, N., Warner, N. H., Parker, T., Williams, M. G., Daubar, I., Calef, F., Grant, J., Bailey, P., Abarca, H., Deen, R., Ruoff, N., Maki, J., McEwen, A., Baugh, N., Block, K., Tamppari, L., Call, J., Ladewig, J., Stoltz, A., Weems, W. A., Mora-Sotomayor, L., Torres, J., Johnson, M., Kennedy, T., & Sklyanskiy, E. 2020, Earth and Space Science. Location and Setting of the Mars InSight Lander, Instruments, and Landing Site

Munaretto, G., Pajola, M., Cremonese, G., Re, C., Lucchetti, A., Simioni, E., McEwen, A. S., Pommerol, A., Becerra, P., Conway, S. J., Thomas, N., & Massironi, M. 2020, Planetary and Space Science. Implications for the origin and evolution of Martian Recurring Slope Lineae at Hale crater from CaSSIS observations

Daubar, I. J., Lognonné, P., Teanby, N. A., Collins, G. S., Clinton, J., Stähler, S., Spiga, A., Karakostas, F., Ceylan, S., Malin, M., McEwen, A. S., Maguire, R., Charalambous, C., Onodera, K., Lucas, A., Rolland, L., Vaubaillon, J., Kawamura, T., Böse, M., Horleston, A., van Driel, M., Stevanović, J., Miljković, K., Fernando, B., Huang, Q., Giardini, D., Larmat, C. S., Leng, K., Rajšić, A., Schmerr, N., Wójcicka, N., Pike, T., Wookey, J., Rodriguez, S., Garcia, R., Banks, M. E., Margerin, L., Posiolova, L., & Banerdt, B. 2020, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets). A New Crater Near InSight: Implications for Seismic Impact Detectability on Mars

Thomas, M. F., McEwen, A. S., & Dundas, C. M. 2020, Icarus. Present-day mass wasting in sulfate-rich sediments in the equatorial regions of Mars

Perrin, C., Rodriguez, S., Jacob, A., Lucas, A., Spiga, A., Murdoch, N., Lorenz, R., Daubar, I. J., Pan, L., Kawamura, T., Lognonné, P., Banfield, D., Banks, M. E., Garcia, R. F., Newman, C. E., Ohja, L., Widmer-Schnidrig, R., McEwen, A. S., & Banerdt, W. B. 2020, Geophysical Research Letters. Monitoring of Dust Devil Tracks Around the InSight Landing Site, Mars, and Comparison With In Situ Atmospheric Data

Wang, Alian, Ling, Zongcheng, Yan, Yuanchao, McEwen, Alfred S., Mellon, Michael T., Smith, Michael D., Jolliff, Bradley L., & Head, James 2019, Icarus. Subsurface Cl-bearing salts as potential contributors to recurring slope lineae (RSL) on Mars

Bart, Gwendolyn D., Daubar, Ingrid J., Ivanov, Boris A., Dundas, Colin M., & McEwen, Alfred S. 2019, Icarus. Dark halos produced by current impact cratering on Mars

Schaefer, E. I., McEwen, A. S., & Sutton, S. S. 2019, Icarus. A case study of recurring slope lineae (RSL) at Tivat crater: Implications for RSL origins

Dundas, C. M., McEwen, Alfred S., Diniega, S., Hansen, C. J., Byrne, S., & McElwaine, J. N. 2019, Geological Society of London Special Publications. The formation of gullies on Mars today

Hendrix, Amanda R., Hurford, Terry A., Barge, Laura M., Bland, Michael T., Bowman, Jeff S., Brinckerhoff, William, Buratti, Bonnie J., Cable, Morgan L., Castillo-Rogez, Julie, Collins, Geoffrey C., Diniega, Serina, German, Christopher R., Hayes, Alexander G., Hoehler, Tori, Hosseini, Sona, Howett, Carly J. A., McEwen, Alfred S., Neish, Catherine D., Neveu, Marc, Nordheim, Tom A., Patterson, G. Wesley, Patthoff, D. Alex, Phillips, Cynthia, Rhoden, Alyssa, Schmidt, Britney E., Singer, Kelsi N., Soderblom, Jason M., & Vance, Steven D. 2019, Astrobiology. The NASA Roadmap to Ocean Worlds

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Mcewen_CV_012024.pdf 325.49 KB
Semester Course Day/Time Location Resources
Spring 2024 PTYS/ASTR/GEOS 442-1 Monday, Wednesday 4:00-5:15p.m. Kuiper 312 Syllabus
D2L
Spring 2024 PTYS/ASTR/GEOS 542-1 Monday, Wednesday 4:00-5:15p.m. Kuiper 312 Syllabus
D2L
Fall 2024 PTYS 595B-001 Tuesday 10:00-10:50a.m. Kuiper 309 Syllabus
D2L

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