Smith’s Students Busy with Research, Publications - Planetary Science Institute
August 18, 2026 • Jamie Isen uses the Mars Environmental Chamber, developed by Smith, to grow CO2 ice and to measure the reflectance and spectral properties for variable ice morphologies. Sometimes, the. . .
August 18, 2026 •Jamie Isen uses the Mars Environmental Chamber, developed by Smith, to grow CO2 ice and to measure the reflectance and spectral properties for variable ice morphologies. Sometimes, the ice is glassy and clear, and other times it looks like bright white frost. Credit: Isaac Smith. PSI Senior Scientist Isaac Smith’s students at York University in Toronto have been very busy with Mars-related research. “My lab has published 10 papers already in 2026, including nine led by students and one led by me,” Smith said. “It’s been a gangbuster year already. ”“An overarching theme of this is how all of these papers improve our understanding of the cryosphere of Mars, from beneath the polar ice caps to their surface-atmosphere interactions, and including the past and present distribution of ice at other latitudes,” Smith said. “All of the students earned or are earning degrees at York University. Several graduated before these papers were published and are enjoying jobs in academia and the private sector. ”PSI Senior Scientist, Dr. Isaac SmithThe students work with a Mars Environmental Chamber, developed by Smith, that simulates conditions at the south pole of Mars to grow various configurations of carbon dioxide and water ices. The group also does field work in Yukon, Canada to support mission development, analyzes extensive radar and optical imagery data of Mars, and simulates glacial flow on Earth and Mars. Smith credits the abundance of work to bright students who can take a foundational idea and run with it to completion, as well as financial support – especially a Canada Research Chair Tier II that affords him a reduced teaching load and extra time for research. “My deep interest in ice on Mars, especially explaining what we observe, instigates these projects, and I have had good success finding funding to work on a large breadth of interesting problems within the context of the Martian cryosphere. In general, I like to find the most interesting questions, and with the ingenuity of my students, develop methods and tools to address them, whether that be building an environmental chamber, going to the Arctic for field work, modeling glaciers and winds, or data analysis,” Smith said. This breadth of topics highlights how wonderful Mars can be to study, providing numerous avenues for deep research at the graduate school level. “For my students, I hope to set an example of pushing the boundaries of one’s comfort zone and to keep asking questions,” Smith said. “I believe that science benefits as we improve our methods and refine our questions; this leads to better missions and more knowledge for the next generation. ”Good luck to Smith and his students with keeping up the great pace of discoveries and research. Read on to learn more about each student and publication. Student names, research areas and papers include:Ivan Mishevmodeled radar response for various icy terrains:Simulation-Based Assessment of Polarimetric L-Band SAR for Shallow Ice Detection on Mars. Kasra Fardhad two research areas, modeling potential glaciers in Gale Crater, and modeling the flowing massive carbon dioxide ice deposit of the south pole of Mars, including with internal stratigraphy:Modelling 3D Flow of Potential Glaciers on Mt. Sharp (Aeolis Mons) in Gale Crater, Mars, andModeling the Water-Ice Bounding Layers in the Massive CO2 Ice Deposits, South Pole of Mars. Jamie Isenperformed experiments that measured the spectroscopic signature of carbon dioxide ice that is partially buried by water ice:Spectral Characterization of CO2-H2O Ice Layering Under Controlled Mars Polar Conditions as Laboratory Analogues for Seasonal Cap Activity. Abi Maddenmeasured the dielectric properties of clays in Martian conditions:Refined dielectric properties of hydrated smectites. Chimira Andresperformed data analysis of Phlegra Montes, Mars, to look for different styles of surface and subsurface expressions. She quantified the amount of ice in the area:Distribution and Surface Morphology of Debris-Covered Glaciers and the Latitude Dependent Mantle (LDM) in Phlegra Montes, Mars. Pruthvi Acharyainvestigated unexplained surface changes on the north polar layered deposits of Mars:Formation and Evolution of Cold and Bright Anomalies and Warm and Dark Anomalies on the North Polar Layered Deposits. Akhila Nairmapped the distribution of unique cliff features on the north polar layered deposits of Mars and found that they corresponded to unconformities that record climatic changes:Scalloped Cliff Formations of North Polar Layered Deposits of Mars: A New Catalogue. Rushana Karimovaperformed experiments in an environmental chamber that grew different morphologies of carbon dioxide ice to study their behavior:Deposition of CO2ice under Martian polar conditions: Textures, NIR reflectance and Response to Thermal Stresses. More from PSIAugust 14, 2026 • Alan FischerMany Themes Discussed at RetreatParticipants in the Planetary Science Institute’s 2026 retreat held at Tucson’s Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort July 29-31 were offered a. . . Featured Staff###Planetary Science InstituteThe Planetary Science Institute is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to Solar System exploration. It is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, where it was founded in 1972. PSI scientists are involved in numerous NASA and international missions, the study of Mars and other planets, the Moon, asteroids, comets, interplanetary dust, impact physics, the origin of the Solar System, extra-solar planet formation, dynamics, the rise of life, and other areas of research. They conduct fieldwork on all continents around the world. They are also actively involved in science education and public outreach through school programs, children’s books, popular science books and art. 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