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David Kass

Photo of David Kass

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 169-237

Pasadena, CA 91109

Phone:

818.354.3560

Fax:

818.393.4619

Member of:

Planetary And Exoplanetary Atmospheres

Education

  • B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics - University of Dayton (1992)
  • Ph.D. in Planetary Science - California Institute of Technology, (1999)

Professional Experience

  • JPL Scientist IV (2009-Present)
  • JPL Research Scientist (2004-2009)
  • JPL Scientist (2002-2004)
  • Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar at JPL (1999-2002)

Research Interests

  • Mesoscale/weather data analysis, modeling and forcasting of the martian atmosphere
  • Orbital/surface observations of the martian atmosphere and data assimilation of such observations
  • Long term (4.5 Gyr)evolution/climate change of the martian atmosphere (composition, dynamics and transport)

Selected Awards

  • Group Achievement Award to MRO Comet Siding Spring Observing Team (2015)
  • Group Achievement Award to MSL Project Operations Team (2013)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award MRO MCS Science Team (2011)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award MRO Flight and Relay Operations Team (2011)
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship (1992 to 1995)
  • Lewis A. Kingsley Foundation Fellowship (1995)
  • President's Scholarship (University of Dayton) (1988 to 1992)
  • Senior Computer Science Alumni Award of Excellence (1992)
  • NCR Award of Excellence (1990)

Selected Publications

  1. Kass, D.M., and Y.L. Yung, "Loss of Atmosphere from Mars due to Solar Wind-Induced Sputtering," Science, 268, 697-699, 1995.
  2. Kass, D.M., and Y.L. Yung, "The Loss of Atmosphere from Mars-Response," Science, 274, 19321933 , 1996.
  3. Yung, Y.L., and Kass, D.M., "Deuteronomy: A Puzzle of Deuterium and Oxygen on Mars," Science, 280, 1545-1546, 1996.
  4. Wolf, R.A., K.A. Farley, and D.M. Kass, "Modeling of the Temperature Sensitivity of the Apatite (UTh)/He Thermochronometer," Chem. Geol., 148, 105-114, 1998.
  5. Kass, D.M., and Y.L. Yung, "Water on Mars: Isotopic constraints on exchange between the atmosphere and surface," GRL, 26, 3653-2656, 1999.
  6. Zhang, K.Q., A.P. Ingersoll, D.M. Kass, J.C. Pearl, M.D. Smith, B.J. Conrath, and R.M. Haberle, "Assimilation of Mars Atmospheric Temperature Data into a General Circulation Model. 2. Data from the Mars Global Surveyor Mapping Orbits," JGR 106, 32862-32877, 2001.
  7. Kass, D.M., Y.L. Yung, "Evolution of the Martian Atmosphere: Results of a Monte Carlo Model of Sputtering," In press Icarus, 2003.
  8. Golombek et al., "Selection of the Mars Exploration Rover landing sites," JGR, 108(E12), 8072, doi:10.1029/2003JE002074, 2003.
  9. Crisp J., M. Adler, J. Matijevic, S. Squyres, R.A. Arvidson, D. Kass, "The Mars Exploration Rover Mission," JGR, 108(E12), doi10.1029/2002JE002038, 2003.
  10. Kass, D.M., J.T. Schofield, T.I. Michaels, S.C.R. Rafkin, M.I. Richardson, A.D. Toigo, "Analysis of atmospheric mesoscale models for entry, descent and landing," JGR, 108(E12), doi10.1029/2003JE002065, 2003.
  11. McCleese et al., “Mars Climate Sounder: An investigation of thermal and water vapor structure, dust and condensate distributions in the atmosphere, and energy balance of the polar regions,” JGR, 112(E5), doi:10.1029/2006JE002790, 2007.
  12. Benson, J.L., D.M. Kass, A. Kleinböhl, D.J. McCleese, J.T. Schofield, and F.W. Taylor, “Mars’ South Polar Hood as Observed by the Mars Climate Sounder, ” JGR, 115, doi:10.1029/2009JE003554, 2010.
  13. Heavens et al., “Vertical distribution of dust in the Martian atmosphere during northern spring and summer: High-altitude tropical dust maximum at northern summer solstice,” JGR, 116, doi:10.1029/2010JE003692, 2011.
  14. Hu, R., D. M. Kass, B. L. Ehlmann, and Y. L. Yung, “Tracing the fate of carbon and the atmospheric evolution of Mars,” Nature Comm. 6, 10003, 10.1038/ncomms10003, 2015.
  15. Kass, D.M A. Kleinböhl, D. J. McCleese, J. T. Schofield and M. D. Smith, “Interannual similarity in the Martian atmosphere during the dust storm season,” GRL, 43, 6111-6118, doi: 10.1002/2016GL068978, 2016.
  16. Heavens, N. G., A. Kleinböhl, M. S. Chaffin, J. S. Halekas, D. M. Kass, P. O. Hayne, D. J. McCleese, S. Piqueux, J. H. Shirley, and J. T. Schofield, 2018. Deep convection in dust storms enhances hydrogen escape from Mars, Nature Astron. 2, 126-132, 10.1038/s41550-017-0353-4.

Projects

MRO - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
InSight
Mars 2020
MSL - Mars Science Laboratory