Research

The Ehlmann lab specializes in planetary geology and surface remote sensing. Our interdisciplinary projects involve spectroscopy, image analysis, 3-D data visualization, mineralogy, petrology, biogeochemistry, astrobiology, and environmental change. We work on all planets with solid surfaces with orbiters, rovers, landers and traditional field geology.

We are also involved in missions, including MRO, MSL, Mars2020, EMIT, UCIS-Moon, AIRES, Europa Clipper, as well as work on lunar landers, asteroid, Venus, Mars, and Ocean Worlds future missions.

Remote Sensing & Infrared Spectroscopy

Minerals, ices, and organics record the evolutionary history of planets. We develop approaches to determine what planets are made of and monitor changing environments. Our specialties are in imaging spectroscopy, stereo imaging, and multiple dataset integration whether from orbit, from UAVs, on the ground with rovers and landers, or in the lab. We build and maintain WISER, a cross-platform, open-source tool for spectral image analysis.
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Exploring Mars

We examine the biggest questions in Mars history. Why did a once-watery world become a cold desert? What processes control the evolution of past and present surface climate? Did Mars, like Earth, develop life and does that life still exist on Mars today?
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Volatiles & Ocean Worlds

The Moon has water. Upcoming and proposed missions to the Moon as well as Europa, Enceladus, and icy bodies provide exciting opportunities to understand these worlds.
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Earth System Change with Remote & Field Data

Earth’s climate is changing, and remote sensing provides a way to assess how vegetation and Earth’s dynamic systems are responding. We use are involved with missions and use new technologies for these investigations.
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Novel Methods for Earth & Mars Fieldwork

Using new techniques and instrumentation, we tackle longstanding and new questions about the formation and alteration of Earth and Mars.
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Future Missions & Instruments

Guided by science questions about the evolution of the solar system and monitoring Earth, Professor Ehlmann also works with colleagues across the world to develop new instruments and missions of exploration.
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Thanks to NASA, NSF, the Resnick Sustainability Institute, National Geographic, the Rose Hills Foundation, Foster and Coco Stanback, Caltech and JPL funds, and University of Colorado funds for support of our work.