Ross Beyer

Affiliation: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute

Division: Space Science and Astrobiology Division (ST)

Branch: Planetary Systems Branch (STT)

Email: Ross.A.Beyer@nasa.gov

Phone: Office: (650)-604-0324 / Home: (408)-429-3024

Personal Websites: https://rossbeyer.net/

Professional Biography

Dr. Beyer is a planetary scientist with the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute. He carries out his research in the Space Science and Astrobiology Division (Planetary Systems Branch) at the NASA Ames Research Center.  He studies surface geomorphology, surface processes, remote sensing and photogrammetry of the solid bodies in our Solar System–if you can stand on it, he’s interested in what it’s like and how it got that way.

Ross works on ways to quantitatively analyze the meter-scale topography and surface roughness of planetary surfaces via remote sensing.  His photoclinometry techniques have been used to help plan landing sites on Mars and the Moon and have been applied to quantitative topographic measurements of Martian dunes and fluvial features as well as features on Europa, Enceladus, and Charon. Ross is also working to gain a better understanding of the stratigraphy and layering in the Valles Marineris on Mars and the tectonics of Pluto’s moon Charon. Dr. Beyer is a Co-I with the HiRISE instrument on the MRO spacecraft and was a Participating Scientist with the LROC instrument on the LRO spacecraft.  He is a Co-I with the New Horizons mission to Jupiter, Pluto, and the Kuiper Belt and a Co-I on NASA’s VIPER mission.  Dr. Beyer and colleagues in the NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group develop the Ames Stereo Pipeline software to create terrain models from planetary images.

Education

B.S. Astronomy, 1998, University of Illinois

B.S. Physics, 1998, University of Illinois

Ph.D. Planetary Sciences, 2004, The University of Arizona

Research Interests

Current Projects:

* Valles Marineris Stratigraphy
* Quantitative meter-scale roughness
* Slope streaks and mass movement on Mars
* Planning the New Horizons encounter with the Pluto/Charon system
* Making NASA’s geospatial data more available
o member of the NASA Ames Planetary Content Team, see information about our 2007 Fall AGU meeting poster
o see my Planetary KML examples
o Contributed to the new Mars 3D mode in Google Earth 5.0 (see NASA Press Release)
* Orrery.us

Other Projects:

* Online Program, Crater, for calculating crater diameters and projectile diameters
* Arizona Meteorites
* Improving the data in the improved Google Moon

Select Publications

Peer-Reviewed Papers

* Barnes, Jason W.; Brown, Robert H.; Soderblom, Laurence; Sotin, Christophe; Le Mouèlic, Stèphane; Rodriguez, Sebastien; Jaumann, Ralf; Beyer, Ross A.; Buratti, Bonnie J.; Pitman, Karly; Baines, Kevin H.; Clark, Roger; and Nicholson, Phil. 2008. Spectroscopy, morphometry, and photoclinometry of Titan’s dunefields from Cassini/VIMS. Icarus, Volume 195, Issue 1, p. 400-414.

* Keszthelyi, Laszlo; Jaeger, Windy; McEwen, Alfred; Tornabene, Livio; Beyer, Ross A.; Dundas, Colin; and Milazzo, Moses. 2008. High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images of volcanic terrains from the first 6 months of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Primary Science Phase. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 113, Issue E4, CiteID E04005.

* Bland, Michael T.; Beyer, Ross A.; and Showman, Adam P. 2007. Unstable extension of Enceladus’ lithosphere. Icarus, Volume 192, Issue 1, p. 92-105.

* Phillips, Cynthia B.; Burr, Devon M.; and Beyer, Ross A. 2007. Mass movement within a slope streak on Mars. Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 34, Issue 21, CiteID L21202.

* Chuang, Frank C.; Beyer, Ross A.; McEwen, Alfred S.; and Thomson, Bradley J. 2007. HiRISE observations of slope streaks on Mars. Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 34, Issue 20, CiteID L20204.

* Bourke, M. C.; Balme, M.; Beyer, R. A.; Williams, K. K.; and Zimbelman, J. 2006. A comparison of methods used to estimate the height of sand dunes on Mars. Geomorphology, v. 81, iss. 3-4, p. 440-452.

* Beyer, Ross A. and McEwen, Alfred S. 2005. Layering stratigraphy of eastern Coprates and northern Capri Chasmata, Mars. Icarus, Volume 179, Issue 1, p. 1-23.
[Self-Archived Full Text]
* Beyer, Ross A.; McEwen, Alfred S.; and Kirk, Randolph L. 2003. Meter-scale slopes of candidate MER landing sites from point photoclinometry. Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 108, Issue E12, pp. ROV 26-1, CiteID 8085, DOI 10.1029/2003JE002120.
[Self-Archived Full Text]

Conference Abstracts

* Beyer, Ross A.; Archinal, B.; Li, R.; Mattson, S.; Moratto, Z.; McEwen, A.; Oberst, J.; and Robinson, M. 2009. LROC Stereo Observations. American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #26.05.

* Beyer, R. A.; Archinal, B.; Li, R.; Mattson, S.; McEwen, A.; and Robinson, M. 2009. LROC Stereo Observations. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Science Targeting Meeting, held June 9-11, 2009 in Tempe, Arizona. LPI Contribution No. 1483, p.15-16.

* Hancher, M. D.; Beyer, R.; Broxton, M.; Gorelick, N.; Kolb, E.; and Weiss-Malik, M. 2009. Visualizing Mars Data and Imagery with Google Earth. 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XL), held March 23-27, 2009 in The Woodlands, Texas, id.2308.

* Milazzo, M. P.; Keszthelyi, L. P.; Jaeger, W. L.; Rosiek, M.; Mattson, S.; Verba, C. A.; Beyer, R. A.; Geissler, P. E.; McEwen, A. S.; and Hirise Team. 2009. The Distribution of Columnar Lavas on Mars as Seen by HiRISE. 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XL), held March 23-27, 2009 in The Woodlands, Texas, id.2159.

* Chuang, F. C. and Beyer, R. A. 2009. Modification of Martian Slope Streaks. 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XL), held March 23-27, 2009 in The Woodlands, Texas, id.2104.

* Hancher, M.; Beyer, R.; Broxton, M.; Gorelick, N.; Kolb, E.; and Weiss-Malik, M. 2008. Beyond Earth: Using Google Earth to Visualize Other Planetary Bodies. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #IN41A-1134.

* Beyer, R. A.; Hancher, M. D.; Broxton, M.; Weiss-Malik, M.; Gorelick, N.; and Kolb, E. 2008. Visualizing NASA’s Planetary Data with Google Earth. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P53C-1470.

* Beyer, R. A.; Chuang, F. C.; Thomson, B. J.; Milazzo, M. P.; and Wray, J. 2008. Martian Slope Streak Brightening Mechanisms. 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX), held March 10-14, 2008 in League City, Texas. LPI Contribution No. 1391., p.2538.

* Beyer, R. A. and Hirise Team. 2008. HiRISE Photoclinometry of Proposed MSL Landing Sites. 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX), held March 10-14, 2008 in League City, Texas. LPI Contribution No. 1391., p.2485.

* Hancher, M. D.; Beyer, R. A.; Broxton, M. J.; Kasraie, K.; and Smith, M. F. 2008. New Platforms for Web-based Lunar and Planetary Mapping and GIS. 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX), held March 10-14, 2008 in League City, Texas. LPI Contribution No. 1391., p.2263.

* Bridges, N. T.; Gorbaty, E.; Beyer, R. A.; Byrne, S.; Thomson, B. J.; Wray, J.; and Hirise Team. 2008. Low Thermal Inertia and High Elevation Bedforms as Seen by the HiRISE Camera. 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX), held March 10-14, 2008 in League City, Texas. LPI Contribution No. 1391., p.2108.

* Milazzo, M. P.; Jaeger, W. L.; Keszthelyi, L.; McEwen, A. S.; and Beyer, R. A. 2008. The Discovery of Columnar Jointing on Mars. 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX), held March 10-14, 2008 in League City, Texas. LPI Contribution No. 1391., p.2062.

Go to http://rossbeyer.net/science/ to obtain abstracts of his publications

NASA Missions:

* Galileo SSI
* Mars Global Surveyor / Mars Orbiter Camera
* Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) (Landing Site selection)
* Phoenix Mars Lander (Landing Site Selection)
* 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (Landing Site Selection)
* New Horizons (Geology and Geophysics Imaging team affiliate)
* Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE participating scientist)
* Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC participating scientist)