Christopher W. Hamilton
Dr. Hamilton is planetary volcanologist specializing in magma–water interactions and Solar System exploration. His research combines field-based observations, remote sensing, machine learning, and geophysical modeling to investigate geological surface process, planetary climate, and habitability.
Major Project Leadership: The "RAVEN: Rover–Aerial Vehicle Exploration Network", NASA Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research (PSTAR), Principal Investigator. RAVEN will develop and field-test new robotic rover and unmanned aircraft systems technology for future Mars exploration.
Current Spacecraft Involvement: The "Io Volcano Observer (IVO)", NASA Discovery Program (Phase A), Co-Investigator. IVO is a new satellite mission concept that would investigate volcanism and tidal heating within Jupiter's moon Io.
Research Highlights: Hamilton et al. (2020), "Lava‐Rise Plateaus and Inflation Pits in the McCartys Lava Flow Field, New Mexico: An Analog for Pāhoehoe‐Like Lava Flows on Planetary Surfaces", Journal of Geophysical Research—Planets, 125(7), E2019JE005975, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JE005975
Active Affiliations:
2014–Present: Associate Professor (since 2020), Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
2015–Present: Assistant Professor (since 2020), Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
2018–Present: Adjunct Associate Professor, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
2019–Present: Adjunct Professor, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands), Reykjavík, Iceland