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

Education

Ph.D. in Astronomy from New Mexico State University in 2006

Research Interests

My research focuses on planetary atmospheres and climate.  I am particularly interested in understanding Mars’ current and past climate systems.  I use numerical models to investigate the three cycles that characterize the Martian climate (dust, water, and CO2), the interactions that occur between them, and their impact on the current and past climate of Mars.

Select Publications

Kahre, M.A., 2023. Dust Storms on Mars.In P. Read, de Dalmau, J., B. Fegley, S. Freeland, C. Jackman, S. Jin, E. C. Krupp, S. Lewis, J., Michalski, T. Van Hoolst, F. Westall, & A. Zakharov (Eds.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. In Press.

Steakley, K. E., Kahre, M. A., & Haberle, R. M., & Zahnle, K. J. (2023). Impact induced H2-rich climates on early Mars explored with a global climate model. Icarus, 394, p. 115401.

Hartwick, V. L., Haberle, R. M., Kahre, M. A., & Wilson, R. J., (2022). The Dust Cycle on Mars at different orbital distances from the Sun: An investigation of the impact of radiatively active dust on land planet climate. The Astrophysical Journal, 941(1), p.54.

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, pp. 1-11.

Kahre, M.A., Haberle, R.M., Hollingsworth, J.L. and 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, p.113512.

Haberle, R.M., Kahre, M.A., Hollingsworth, J.L., Montmessin, F., Wilson, R.J., Urata, R.A., Brecht, A.S., Wolff, M.J., Kling, A.M. and Schaeffer, J.R., 2019. Documentation of the NASA/Ames Legacy Mars Global Climate Model: Simulations of the present seasonal water cycle. Icarus, 333, pp.130-164.

Steakley, K., Murphy, J., Kahre, M., Haberle, R. and Kling, A., 2019. Testing the impact heating hypothesis for early Mars with a 3-D global climate model. Icarus, 330, pp.169-188.

Kahre, M.A., Murphy, J.R., Newman, C.E., Wilson, R.J., Cantor, B.A., Lemmon, M.T., and Wolff, M.J., 2017. The Mars Dust Cycle. The Atmosphere and Climate of Mars, Cambridge University Press.

Kahre, M.A., Hollingsworth, J.L., Haberle, R.M., and Wilson, R.J., Coupling the Mars Dust and Water Cycles: The Importance of Radiative-Dynamic Feedbacks During Northern Hemisphere Summer. Icarus, 260, pp 477-480.

Esposito, L., Colaprete, A., English, J., Haberle, R., Kahre, M.A.  Clouds and Aerosols on the Terrestrial Planets.  Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets. The University of Arizona. 2013.

Kahre, M.A., Vines, S., Haberle, R., Hollingsworth, J., 2013.  The Early Martian Atmosphere:  Investigating the role of the dust cycle in the possible maintenance of two stable climate states.  Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets, 118 (6), 1388-1396.

Kahre, M.A., and R.M. Haberle, 2010: Mars CO2 cycle: Effects of airborne dust and polar cap ice emissivity. Icarus, 207 (2), 648-653.

Hollingsworth, J.L., and Kahre, M.A., 2010: Extratropical cyclones, frontal waves, and Mars dust: Modeling and considerations. Geophys Res. Letters. 37 (22).

Haberle., R.M., and Kahre, M.A., 2010: Detecting secular climate change on Mars. Mars Journal. 4, 68-75.

Kahre, M.A., J. Hollingsworth, R.M. Haberle, and J.R. Murphy, 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.

Kahre, M.A., J.R. Murphy, and R.M. Haberle, 2006: Modeling the Martian dust cycle and surface dust reservoirs with the NASA Ames general circulation model.  J. of Geophys. Res., 111, 6008.

NASA Missions

Mars Science Laboratory Collaborating Research Scientist (2015-2018)

Awards & Others

NASA Honor Award for Exceptional Achievement (2021)

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

NASA Early Careers Fellowship (2012)

NASA Postdoctoral Program Associate at NASA Ames Research Center (2006-2009)