Christina Viviano

Planetary Geologist; Spectroscopist (VNIR/IR)

240-228-7783

B.A., Astrogeophysics

2006, Colgate University
Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Science

2012, University of Tennessee

My research pertains to the evolution of Martian crust over time, including the environments that existed during its early history as preserved in the rock record. I utilize visible/near-infrared and thermal infrared spectroscopy of Mars to gain insight into the composition of the surface exposed today. Presently, I focus on the variability in mineral signatures as identified through the CRISM visible/near-infrared hyperspectral imager. My work has helped to constrain the geologic origin of the mineral diversity exposed at the surface today and provides context for assesing the habitability of past surface and subsurface conditions on Mars.

Notable Awards and Leadership

Year(s)	Description
2022 - Present	Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) Goals Committee Member
2022	The Volunteer 40 Under 40 Award: recognizes forty alumni under the age of 40 who have excelled personally and professionally since completing their degree at UT Knoxville.
2020	APL Instant Recognition Award for organizing Slack Workspace as a Virtual Hallway during the CoVID pandemic,
2020 - 2021	APL Circuit Program Mentor for interns
2018 - Present	Alumni Advisory Board Member - Earth & Planetary Science Department, The University of Tennessee
2018	APL Instant Recognition Award for 6 years of coordinating and hosting the Planetary group seminar series, APL
2011	Dwornik Award, Best Graduate Student Poster, LPSC
2009, 2010, 2011	Excellence in Graduate Assistant Teaching Award (2010, 2011), Excellence in Outreach Award (2009, 2011), The University of Tennessee

Scholarly Publications

An explosive volcanic origin identified for dark sand in Aeolis Dorsa, Mars

Geology, 2022

Devon M. Burr, Christina E. Viviano, Timothy I. Michaels, Matthew Chojnacki, Robert E. Jacobsen, (2022), An explosive volcanic origin identified for dark sand in Aeolis Dorsa, Mars, Geology, https://doi.org/10.1130/g49814.1

Extensive and ancient feldspathic crust detected across north Hellas rim, Mars: Possible implications for primary crust formation

Geology, 2022

M.S. Phillips, C.E. Viviano, J.E. Moersch, A.D. Rogers, H.Y. McSween, F.P. Seelos, (2022), Extensive and ancient feldspathic crust detected across north Hellas rim, Mars: Possible implications for primary crust formation, Geology, 50, 10, 1182-1186

Abraded pyroclastic linear paleodunes in Syria and Daedalia Plana, Mars

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2021

Kirby D. Runyon, Christina E. Viviano, Mackenzie Day, (2021), Abraded pyroclastic linear paleodunes in Syria and Daedalia Plana, Mars, Earth and Planetary Science Letters , 557, 116719, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116719

The lifecycle of hollows on Mercury: An evaluation of candidate volatile phases and a novel model of formation

Icarus, 2021

M.S. Phillips, J.E. Moersch, C.E. Viviano, J.P. Emery, (2021), The lifecycle of hollows on Mercury: An evaluation of candidate volatile phases and a novel model of formation, Icarus, 359

Astrobiology at APL-On the Path to Discovery

Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest (Applied Physics Laboratory), 2021

K.L. Craft, J.I. Núñez, C.E. Bradburne, C.M. Ernst, C.A. Hibbitts, N.R. Izenberg, J.R. Johnson, S.M. MacKenzie, K.E. Mandt, S.L. Murchie, K.A. Ohiri, M.E. Perry, L.E. Powers, K.D. Runyon, A.M. Rymer, F.P. Seelos, K.S. Sotzen, K.B. Stevenson, C.M. Timm, C.E. Viviano, J.H. Westlake, (2021), Astrobiology at APL-On the Path to Discovery, Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest (Applied Physics Laboratory), 35, 4, 486-504

Multiple mineral horizons in layered outcrops at Mawrth Vallis, Mars, signify changing geochemical environments on early Mars

Icarus, 2020

Bishop, Janice L. and Gross, Christoph and Danielsen, Jacob and Parente, Mario and Murchie, Scott L. and Horgan, Briony and Wray, James J. and Viviano, Christina and Seelos, Frank P., (2020), Multiple mineral horizons in layered outcrops at Mawrth Vallis, Mars, signify changing geochemical environments on early Mars, icarus, 341, 113634

Anomalous Phyllosilicate-Bearing Outcrops South of Coprates Chasma: A Study of Possible Emplacement Mechanisms

Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets), 2020

Buczkowski, Debra L. and Seelos, Kimberly D. and Viviano, Christina E. and Murchie, Scott L. and Seelos, Frank P. and Malaret, Erick and Hash, Christopher, (2020), Anomalous Phyllosilicate-Bearing Outcrops South of Coprates Chasma: A Study of Possible Emplacement Mechanisms, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets), 125, 1, e06043

A search for early- to mid-Noachian chloride-rich deposits on Mars

Icarus, 2020

Andrew W. Beck and Scott L. Murchie and Christina E. Viviano, (2020), A search for early- to mid-Noachian chloride-rich deposits on Mars, Icarus, 338, 113552, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103519306608

Olivine‐Carbonate Mineralogy of the Jezero Crater Region

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 2020

A. J. Brown, C. E. Viviano, T. A. Goudge, (2020), Olivine‐Carbonate Mineralogy of the Jezero Crater Region, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Ancient Australian Rocks and the Search for Life on Mars

arXiv, 2020

A.J. Brown, C.E. Viviano, T.A. Goudge, (2020), Ancient Australian Rocks and the Search for Life on Mars, arXiv

Composition of Amazonian volcanic materials in Tharsis and Elysium, Mars, from MRO/CRISM reflectance spectra

Icarus, 2019

Viviano, Christina E. and Murchie, Scott L. and Daubar, Ingrid J. and Morgan, M. Frank and Seelos, Frank P. and Plescia, Jeffrey B., (2019), Composition of Amazonian volcanic materials in Tharsis and Elysium, Mars, from MRO/CRISM reflectance spectra, icarus, 328, 274-286, https://lib.jhuapl.edu/papers/composition-of-amazonian-volcanic-materials-in-tha/

Visible to Short-Wave Infrared Spectral Analyses of Mars from Orbit Using CRISM and OMEGA

Remote Compositional Analysis: Techniques for Understanding Spectroscopy, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry of Planetary Surfaces, 2019

Murchie, Scott L. and Bibring, Jean-Pierre and Arvidson, Raymond E. and Bishop, Janice L. and Carter, John and Ehlmann, Bethany L. and Langevin, Yves and Mustard, John F. and Poulet, Francois and Riu, Lucie and et al., (2019), Visible to Short-Wave Infrared Spectral Analyses of Mars from Orbit Using CRISM and OMEGA, Remote Compositional Analysis: Techniques for Understanding Spectroscopy, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry of Planetary Surfaces, 453–483

Igneous lithologies on asteroid (4) Vesta mapped using gamma-ray and neutron data

Icarus, 2017

Beck, Andrew W. and Lawrence, David J. and Peplowski, Patrick N. and Viviano-Beck, Christina E. and Prettyman, Thomas H. and McCoy, Timothy J. and McSween, Harry Y. and Yamashita, Naoyuki, (2017), Igneous lithologies on asteroid (4) Vesta mapped using gamma-ray and neutron data, icarus, 286, 35-45

Compositional and structural constraints on the geologic history of eastern Tharsis Rise, Mars

Icarus, 2017

C.E. Viviano-Beck and S.L. Murchie and A.W. Beck and J.M. Dohm, (2017), Compositional and structural constraints on the geologic history of eastern Tharsis Rise, Mars, Icarus, 284, 43 - 58, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001910351630567X, https://lib.jhuapl.edu/papers/compositional-and-structural-constraints/

Orbital detection and implications of akaganéite on Mars

Icarus, 2015

Carter, John and Viviano-Beck, Christina and Loizeau, Damien and Bishop, Janice and Le Deit, Laetitia, (2015), Orbital detection and implications of akaganeite on Mars, icarus, 253, 296-310

Metamorphism in the Martian crust

Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 2015

McSween, Harry Y. and Labotka, Theodore C. and Viviano-Beck, Christina E., (2015), Metamorphism in the Martian crust, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 50, 4, 590-603

Revised CRISM spectral parameters and summary products based on the currently detected mineral diversity on Mars

Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets), 2014

Viviano-Beck, Christina E. and Seelos, Frank P. and Murchie, Scott L. and Kahn, Eliezer G. and Seelos, Kimberley D. and Taylor, Howard W. and Taylor, Kelly and Ehlmann, Bethany L. and Wisemann, Sandra M. and Mustard, John F. and Morgan, M. Frank, (2014), Revised CRISM spectral parameters and summary products based on the currently detected mineral diversity on Mars, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets), 119, 6, 1403-1431

Mineralogy of the MSL Curiosity landing site in Gale crater as observed by MRO/CRISM

Geophysical Research Letters, 2014

Seelos, Kimberly D. and Seelos, Frank P. and Viviano-Beck, Christina E. and Murchie, Scott L. and Arvidson, Raymond E. and Ehlmann, Bethany L. and Fraeman, Abigail A., (2014), Mineralogy of the MSL Curiosity landing site in Gale crater as observed by MRO/CRISM, grl, 41, 14, 4880-4887

Challenges in detecting olivine on the surface of 4 Vesta

Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 2013

Beck, Andrew W. and McCoy, Timothy J. and Sunshine, Jessica M. and Viviano, Christina E. and Corrigan, Catherine M. and Hiroi, Takahiro and Mayne, Rhiannon G., (2013), Challenges in detecting olivine on the surface of 4 Vesta, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 48, 11, 2155-2165

A hematite-bearing layer in Gale Crater, Mars: Mapping and implications for past aqueous conditions

Geology, 2013

Fraeman, A.A. and Arvidson, R.E. and Catalano, J.G. and Grotzinger, J.P. and Morris, R.V. and Murchie, S.L. and Stack, K.M. and Humm, D.C. and McGovern, J.A. and Seelos, F.P. and Seelos, K.D. and Viviano, C.E., (2013), A hematite-bearing layer in Gale Crater, Mars: Mapping and implications for past aqueous conditions, Geology, 41, 10, 1103-1106, https://doi.org/10.1130/G34613.1

Using THEMIS data to resolve the discrepancy between CRISM/OMEGA and TES modeled phyllosilicate abundance in Mawrth Vallis

Icarus, 2013

Christina E. Viviano and Jeffrey E. Moersch, (2013), Using THEMIS data to resolve the discrepancy between CRISM/OMEGA and TES modeled phyllosilicate abundance in Mawrth Vallis, Icarus, 226, 1, 497 - 509, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103513002601

Implications for early hydrothermal environments on Mars through the spectral evidence for carbonation and chloritization reactions in the Nili Fossae region

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 2013

Viviano, Christina E. and Moersch, Jeffrey E. and McSween, Harry Y., (2013), Implications for early hydrothermal environments on Mars through the spectral evidence for carbonation and chloritization reactions in the Nili Fossae region, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 118, 9, 1858-1872, https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jgre.20141

A technique for mapping Fe/Mg-rich phyllosilicates on Mars using THEMIS multispectral thermal infrared images

Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets), 2012

Viviano, Christina E. and Moersch, Jeffrey E., (2012), A technique for mapping Fe/Mg-rich phyllosilicates on Mars using THEMIS multispectral thermal infrared images, Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets), 117, E7, E07007

Petrologic and textural diversity among the PCA 02 howardite group, one of the largest pieces of the Vestan surface

Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 2012

Beck, Andrew W. and Welten, Kees C. and McSween, Harry Y. and Viviano, Christina E. and Caffee, Marc W., (2012), Petrologic and textural diversity among the PCA 02 howardite group, one of the largest pieces of the Vestan surface, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 47, 6, 947-969

An Assessment of Colorado Seismicity from a Statewide Temporary Seismic Station Network

Seismological Research Letters, 2008

Monsalve, Gaspar and Viviano, Christina and Sheehan, Anne, (2008), An Assessment of Colorado Seismicity from a Statewide Temporary Seismic Station Network, Seismological Research Letters, 79, 5, 645-652, https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.79.5.645