
Timothy Goudge
Appointment
- CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars 2021-2023
- Earth 4D: Subsurface Science & Exploration
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About
Tim Goudge’s research program seeks to understand how geologic systems that operate on planetary surfaces (e.g., rivers, dunes, lakes) have shaped the landscapes we see across our Solar System, from Earth to Mars to Saturn’s moon Titan. In addition to studying modern planetary landscapes, his team also focuses on understanding the activity of ancient geologic processes as they are preserved in the sedimentary rock record.
Goudge’s scientific approach centers on the analysis of planetary mission remote sensing data, combined with field studies on Earth and numerical modeling approaches. By integrating information on the topography, stratigraphy, and mineralogy of planetary surfaces and sedimentary rock outcrops, the team aims to characterize the evolution of past planetary environments, for example the hydroclimate of Mars more than 3.5 billion years ago. These paleoenvironmental reconstructions help to inform a better understanding of planetary habitability, and settings in which life might have existed or been able to thrive.
Awards
- G. Moses and Carolyn G. Knebel Distinguished Teaching Award, Department of Geological Sciences/The University of Texas at Austin, 2019
- Synthesis Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics 2, 2018
- Jackson School Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship, The University of Texas at Austin, 2015
- NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship (Doctoral), 2012
Relevant Publications
Goudge, T. A., Fassett, C. I. & Mohrig, D. (2019). Incision of paleolake outlet canyons on Mars from overflow flooding. Geology, 47(1), 7–10. DOI: 10.1130/G45397.1.
Goudge, T. A., Milliken, R. E., Head, J. W., Mustard, J. F. & Fassett, C. I. (2017). Sedimentological evidence for a deltaic origin of the western fan deposit in Jezero crater, Mars and implications for future exploration. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 458, 357–365. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2016.10.056.
Goudge, T. A., Fassett, C. I., Head, J. W., Mustard, J. F. & Aureli, K. L. (2016). Insights into surface runoff on early Mars from paleolake basin morphology and stratigraphy. Geology, 44(6), 419–422. DOI: 10.1130/G37734.1.
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