Current Grants

• PI – From Arizona’s volcanoes to the Moon and Mars: American-built drones for federally compliant planetary exploration science (UArizona TRIF)
• PI – Magmatic and tectonic processes in Amazonis Planitia: Implications for Late Amazonian volcanism and lithospheric structure (NASA MDAP)
• PI – Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) LiDAR for lunar exploration (UArizona UASI)
• Co-PI – Linking cryovolcanism and space weathering on Europa (NASA SSW)
• Co-PI – The role of dynamic topography on lava flow emplacement (NSF P&G)
• Co-I –The magmatic evolution of Elysium Planitia (NASA MDAP)
• Co-I – PANTHER: Passive Autonomy, Navigation, Topography, and Habitability Exploration Radar (NASA PSTAR)
• Co-I – From olivine to feldspar: Tracing martian crustal evolution with CRISM mapping data (NASA SSW)
• Co-I – Rheology and eruptibility of three-phase cryovolcanic magmas (NASA SSW)
• Collaborator – VERITAS: Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy (NASA Discovery)
• Collaborator – Revealing the geologic history of Amazonis Planitia (NASA SSW)
• Collaborator – From Early Earth to Mars: Advancing an integrated ‘Landscape Terraformation Science’ with digital twinning of Biosphere 2 (UArizona BIC)
• Collaborator – Planetary data training workshops: 2024–2026 (NASA TWSC)

• VERITAS: Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy: NASA Discovery, Collaborator

Former Spacecraft Involvement

• Rover–Aerial Vehicle Exploration Networks (RAVEN): NASA PSTAR, PI

Current Graduate Students

Student Collaborations/Advising

Other Graduate Students

2023–Present Madison Tuohy, The 2021–2023 Fagradalsfjall eruption, Iceland. Ph.D. Student, Geosciences.

Undergraduate Students (Arizona Space Grant)

2024–Present Brianna Toy, Modeling lava emplacement dynamics. Astronomy.

Current Postdocs

Postdoctoral Researchers

2024–Present Dr. Wesley Tucker, Finite element modeling of lava and conduit flow dynamics. 

Based on Google Scholar and NASA ADS: NASA ADS Author Search: Christopher Hamilton

Recent refereed publications: Years 2019 through June 2026

Hadland, Nathan, Hamilton, Christopher W., Schroedl, Peter, Calabrese, Federica, Marlow, Jeffery, & Duhamel, Solange 2026, Science of the Total Environment. Microbial dispersal from a hyperactive sandsheet in the Icelandic Highland

Carr, Brett B., Patrick, Matthew R., Dietterich, Hannah R., Zoeller, Michael H., Parcheta, Carolyn E., Downs, Drew T., Nadeau, Patricia A., & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2025, Bulletin of Volcanology. Growth of a passive lava lake during the 2020─2021 eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii

Hamid, Saira S., Kerber, Laura, Varnam, Matthew, Hamilton, Christopher W., & Clarke, Amanda B. 2025, Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Warming, cooling, and surface ice accumulation initiated by the release of water from the Athabasca Valles Flood Lava eruption on Mars

Spurling, Reed, Nerozzi, Stefano, & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2025, The Planetary Science Journal. Crater-based Dating of Hebrus Valles and Hephaestus Fossae, Mars

Perkins, Reid P., Hibbard, Shannon M., Neish, Catherine D., Hamilton, Christopher W., & Campbell, Bruce A. 2025, The Planetary Science Journal. Surface Properties of Sediments at the 2014─2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow-field: Insights from Multiwavelength Radar

Chen, Colin, Hamilton, Christopher W., Sipe, Christian, Bywaters, Kathryn, Lawrence, Justin, Creekmore, Paul, Traeden, Nicklaus, & Zacny, Kris 2025, The Planetary Science Journal. Unoccupied Aircraft Systems Sampling for Earth and Mars

Stack, Kathryn M., Francis, Raymond, Calef, Fred J., Gwizd, Samantha J., Schroeder, Jeffrey F., Voigt, Joana R. C., Kristinsson, Thorsteinn, Schroedl, Peter, Shah, Jahnavi, Varnam, Matthew, Neish, Catherine D., Perkins, Reid P., Vanga, Sashank, Bramble, Michael S., Donnellan, Andrea, Osterhout, Jeffrey T., Tuite, Michael, Carr, Brett B., & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2025, The Planetary Science Journal. Simulating Science Operations for a Joint Rover-helicopter Mission Architecture in a Mars Analog Setting

Hamilton, Christopher W., McEwen, Alfred S., Keszthelyi, Laszlo, Carter, Lynn M., Davies, Ashley G., de Kleer, Katherine, Jessup, Kandis Lea, Jia, Xianzhe, Keane, James T., Mandt, Kathleen, Nimmo, Francis, Paranicas, Chris, Park, Ryan S., Perry, Jason E., Pommier, Anne, Radebaugh, Jani, Sutton, Sarah S., Vorburger, Audrey, Wurz, Peter, Borlina, Cauê, Haapala, Amanda F., DellaGiustina, Daniella N., Denevi, Brett W., Hörst, Sarah M., Kempf, Sascha, Khurana, Krishan K., Likar, Justin J., Masters, Adam, Mousis, Olivier, Polit, Anjani T., Bhushan, Aditya, Bland, Michael, Matsuyama, Isamu, & Spencer, John 2025, The Planetary Science Journal. Comparing NASA Discovery and New Frontiers Class Mission Concepts for the Io Volcano Observer

Hudziak, Samuel X., Ukstins, Ingrid, Peate, David, Whelley, Patrick, Scheidt, Stephen, & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2025, Journal of the Geological Society. Improving quantitative ventifact analysis for climate investigations using the Dyngjusandur sandsheet in Iceland as a planetary analogue

Voigt, J. R. C., Hamilton, C. W., Keszthelyi, L. P., Varnam, M., Hibbard, S. M., & Stack, K. M. 2025, The Planetary Science Journal. The 2014–2015 Holuhraun Lava Flow-field in Iceland as a Planetary Analog for Young Volcanic Terrains in Elysium Planitia, Mars

Phillips, Michael S., Tai Udovicic, Christian, Moersch, Jeffrey E., Basu, Udit, & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2024, The Planetary Science Journal. HyPyRameter: A Python Toolbox to Calculate Spectral Parameters from Hyperspectral Reflectance Data

Carr, Brett B., Varnam, Matthew, Hadland, Nathan, Shah, Jahnavi, Voigt, Joana R. C., Gwizd, Samantha, Stack, Kathryn M., Calef, Fred, Francis, Raymond, Basu, Udit, Björnsson, Baldur, Chen, Colin X., Dong, Elisa, Moersch, Jeffrey E., Phillips, Michael, Springer, Joshua, Neish, Catherine D., & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2024, The Planetary Science Journal. Evaluating the Use of Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UASs) for Planetary Exploration in Mars Analog Terrain

Gwizd, Samantha, Stack, Kathryn M., Francis, Raymond, Calef, Fred, Carr, Brett B., Langley, Chris, Graff, Jamie, Hanning Kristinsson, þorsteinn, Thorarensen, Vilhjálmur Páll, Bernharðsson, Eiríkur, Phillips, Michael, Varnam, Matthew, Hadland, Nathan, Shah, Jahnavi, Moersch, Jeffrey, Basu, Udit, Voigt, Joana R. C., & Hamilton, Christopher W. 2024, The Planetary Science Journal. Comparing Rover and Helicopter Planetary Mission Architectures in a Mars Analog Setting in Iceland

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

• Life on Lava: How Microbes Colonize New Habitats - December 18, 2025
• '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

• LPL Evening Lecture - November 24, 2015, Volcanism on Earth and Mars
• LPL Evening Lecture - September 17, 2025, Mars on Earth: Testing Tomorrows Mars Missions in Iceland