Melinda Kahre

Affiliation: NASA Ames Research Center (ARC)

Division: Space Science and Astrobiology Division (ST)

Branch: Planetary Systems Branch (STT)

Email: melinda.a.kahre@nasa.gov

Phone: 650-604-3863

Websites: MCMC Homepage

Professional Biography

I am a space scientist and the Lead of the Mars Climate Modeling Center (MCMC) at NASA Ames Research Center. I received my Ph.D. in Astronomy from New Mexico State University in 2006. My research focuses on understanding Mars’ current and past climate systems, using numerical models to investigate the dust, water, and CO₂ cycles that characterize the Martian atmosphere, including their complex interactions and implications for future human exploration. I have published extensively in leading journals such as Icarus, The Astrophysical Journal, and Nature Astronomy, and I have contributed to major reference works including the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. My contributions to planetary science have been recognized with a NASA Honor Award for Exceptional Achievement.

Education

Ph.D. Astronomy, New Mexico State University – 2006

M.S. Astronomy, New Mexico State University – 2003

B.S. Physics/Astronomy, Whitman College – 2001

Research Interests

Planetary atmospheres and climate, current and past Mars climate systems, numerical modeling, Mars climate cycles: dust, water ice, CO2.

Select Publications

Hartwick, V.L., Kahre, M.A. & Haberle, R.M. (2025). Extremely tenuous, dusty terrestrial atmospheres remain stable against global collapse: An argument for arid planet habitability in the Trappist-1 system. The Astrophysics Journal, 990(2). doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf42f

Kling, A.L.M., Wilson, R.J., Kahre, M.A., Brecht, A.S. & Murphy, J. (2025). Impact of grid resolution on wave-mean flow interactions with high resolution Mars Global Climate Model simulations. GRL, 52(2). doi:10.1029/2024GL112297

Steakley, K.E., Kahre, M.A. & Haberle, R.M. (2025). The effects of CO₂ clouds on the thermal structure of the early Martian atmosphere. Icarus, 440. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116663

Urata, R.A., Bertrand, T., Kahre, M.A., Wilson, R.J., Kling, A.L.M. & Wolff, M.J. (2025). Impact of a bimodal dust distribution on the 2018 Martian global dust storm with the NASA Ames Mars global climate model. Icarus, 429. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116446

Kahre, M.A. (2024). Dust Storms on Mars. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. Oxford University Press.

Batterson, C.M.L., Kahre, M.A., Bridger, A.F.C., Wilson, R.J., Urata, R.A. & Bertrand, T. (2023). Modeling the “B” regional dust storm on Mars: Dust lofting mechanisms predicted by the new NASA Ames Mars GCM. Icarus, 400, 115542–115542. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115542

Kahre, M.A., Haberle, R.M., Wilson, R.J., Urata, R.A., Steakley, K.E., Brecht, A.S., Bertrand, T., Kling, A.L.M., Batterson, C.M.L., Hartwick, V.L., Harman, C.E. & Gkouvelis, L. (2023). The NASA Ames legacy Mars global climate model: Radiation code error correction and new baseline water cycle simulation. Icarus, 400, 115561–115561. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115561

Bertrand, T., Kahre, M.A., Urata, R.A., Määttänen, A., Montmessin, F., Wilson, R.J. & Wolff, M.J. (2022). Impact of the coagulation of dust particles on Mars during the 2018 global dust storm. Icarus, 388, 115239–115239. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2022.115239

Hartwick, V.L., Toon, O.B., Lundquist, J. K., Pierpaoli, O. A. & Kahre, M.A. (2022). Assessment of wind energy resource potential for future human missions to Mars. Nature Astronomy, 7(3), 298–308. doi:10.1038/s41550-022-01851-4

Kahre, M.A., Haberle, R.M., Hollingsworth, J.L. & Wolff, M.J. (2020). MARCI-observed clouds in the Hellas Basin during northern hemisphere summer on Mars: Interpretation with the NASA/Ames Legacy Mars Global Climate Model. Icarus, 338, 113512–113512. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113512

Haberle, R.M., Kahre, M.A., Hollingsworth, J.L., Montmessin, F., Wilson, R.J., Urata, R.A., … Brecht, A.S., Kling, A.L.M. et al. (2019). Documentation of the NASA/Ames Legacy Mars Global Climate Model: Simulations of the present seasonal water cycle. Icarus, 333, 130–164. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.03.026

Kahre, M.A., Murphy, J.R., Newman, C.E., Wilson, R.J., Cantor, B.A., Lemmon, M.T. & Wolff, M.J. (2017). The Mars Dust Cycle. In R.M. Haberle, R.T. Clancy, F. Forgét, M.D. Smith, & R.W. Zurek (Eds.), The Atmosphere and Climate of Mars (pp. 295–337). doi:10.1017/9781139060172.010

Kahre, M.A., Hollingsworth, J.L., Haberle, R.M. & Murphy, J.R. (2008). Investigations of the variability of dust particle sizes in the martian atmosphere using the NASA Ames General Circulation Model. Icarus, 195(2), 576–597. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.01.023

Kahre, M.A., Murphy, J.R. & Haberle, R.M. (2006). Modeling the Martian dust cycle and surface dust reservoirs with the NASA Ames general circulation model. JGR: Planets, 111(E6), 6008–6008. doi:10.1029/2005JE002588

Kahre, M.A., Murphy, J.R., Haberle, R.M., Montmessin, F. & Schaeffer, J. (2005). Simulating the Martian dust cycle with a finite surface dust reservoir. GRL, 32(20), 1–5. doi:10.1029/2005GL023495

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Technologies & Software

NASA Ames MCMC (2024, December 6). Ames Mars GCM (Version 3.2) [Computer software]. NASA GitHub. doi: 10.25966/ty4s-w176

NASA Ames MCMC (2024, January 17). Ames Mars GCM (Version 3.1) [Computer software]. NASA GitHub. doi: 10.25966/ty4s-w176

NASA Ames MCMC (2023, November 29). Ames Mars GCM (Version 3.0) [Computer software]. NASA GitHub. doi: 10.25966/ty4s-w176

NASA Ames MCMC (2025). Community Analysis Pipeline (Version 4.0) [Computer software]. NASA Planetary Science GitHub.

NASA Ames MCMC (2024, August 14). Data Portal Web Interface [Web tool]. NASA Ames Research Center, NASA.

NASA Ames MCMC (2023, April 12). NASA Ames Legacy Mars Global Climate Model [Computer software]. NASA GitHub. doi: 10.25966/3tpw-nt26

NASA Ames MCMC (2023). Beta Output Release 1 [Data set]. NASA Ames Mars Climate Modeling Center Data Portal. doi: 10.25966/rjgg-r639

NASA Ames MCMC (2023). Legacy Output Release [Data set]. NASA Ames Mars Climate Modeling Center Data Portal. doi: 10.25966/3tpw-nt26

Select Seminars & Conference Presentations

Kahre, M.A. (2025). Modeling Mars Weather and Climate. Presented on the mini-hyperwall at the AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Kahre, M.A., Wolff, M.J. & Urata, R.A. (2025). The Martian Aphelion Cloud Belt: Diurnally varying vertical distributions [Abstract].  Presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Kahre, M.A., Urata, R.A., Wilson, R.J. & Hartwick, V.L. (2024). Simulating the Mars Water Cycle with the NASA Ames FV3-Based Mars Global Climate Model [Abstract]. Presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, Washington, D.C.

Kahre, M.A., Urata, R.A., Wilson, R.J., Hartwick, V.L. & Wolff, M.J. (2024). Modeling the Water Cycle with the NASA Ames FV3-Based Mars Global Climate Model [Abstract]. LPI Contributions, 3007. Presented at the Tenth International Conference on Mars, Pasadena, CA.

Kahre, M.A., Wilson, R.J., Urata, R.A., Brecht, A.S., Steakley, K.E., Batterson, C.M.L., Hartwick, V.L., Kling, A.L.M., Harman, C.E. & Mester, M. (2024). The Mars Climate Modeling Center at NASA Ames Research Center: Overview of Recent Science, Model Development, and Progress Making Tools Publicly Available and Accessible [Abstract]. LPI Contributions, 3007. Presented at the Tenth International Conference on Mars, Pasadena, CA.

Kahre, M.A., Wilson, R.J., Urata, R.A., Batterson, C.M.L., Kling, A.L.M., Brecht, A.S., Steakley, K.E., Hartwick, V.L. & Harman, C.E. (2023). The NASA Ames Mars Global Climate Model: Benchmarking Publicly Released Source Code and Model Output [Abstract]. Presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Kahre, M.A. (2023). NASA/AMES Mars Global Climate Model Lecture. NASA/AMES Mars Global Climate Model (GCM) and Community Analysis Pipeline (CAP) Tutorial, Virtual.

Kahre, M.A., Wilson, R.J., Brecht, A.S., Haberle, R.M., Harman, C.E., Urata, R.A., Kling, A.L.M., Steakley, K.E., Batterson, C.M.L., Hartwick, V.L., Gkouvelis, L. & Bertrand, T. (2022). Update and Status of the Mars Climate Modeling Center at Nasa Ames Research Center [Abstract]. Presented at the Seventh International Workshop on the Mars Atmosphere: Modelling and Observations, Paris, France.

Awards & Others

NASA Honor Award for Exceptional Achievement, NASA Ames Research Center (2021)

Outstanding Early Career Space Scientist Lecturer, NASA Ames Space Science and Astrobiology Division Jamboree (2015)

NASA Early Careers Fellowship, NASA Ames Research Center (2012)

NASA Postdoctoral Program Associate, NASA Ames Research Center (2006–2009)