Dr. Charissa Campbell (She/they)

Planetary Atmospheric Scientist
Planetary Environments Laboratory (699)

What is your research focus?

Right now, my research focus is on aerosols in the Martian atmosphere, such as water-ice or dust particles. Like Earth, Mars has seasons due to its axial tilt and more elliptical orbit. During aphelion – when Mars is furthest from the Sun - atmospheric temperatures are cool enough that water-ice clouds form at equatorial latitudes. This feature is known as the Aphelion Cloud Belt (ACB) and is a repeatable atmospheric feature that occurs every Martian Year (MY). On the other side of Mars' orbit, atmospheric temperatures are warm enough during perihelion that dust storms occur more frequently. In some cases, Global Dust Storms (GDS) can be created which covers the whole planet with dust. Both of these seasons on Mars (aphelion and perihelion) have unique aerosols tied to them that both orbiters and surface spacecraft spend time each MY to study. My work specifically has two main topics: studying “B” dust events using orbiter data and studying water-ice clouds using imagery taken from the surface.

"B" events are a particularly elusive type of dust storm, as they are difficult to find with just orbital imagery. Because they are rarely observed, they are not well understood and have not yet been accurately classified. They seem to be tied to only the South polar regions and only appear at one specific time within perihelion. Knowing just these two conditions lets us focus solely on those regions at that time to look for these “B” events. This work is a very collaborative effort as we are taking multiple orbital datasets and modelling analyses to hopefully tell a complete story about these events. I am particularly focused on investigating data from the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as it has the unique ability to tell us about vertical slices throughout the atmosphere to perhaps tie down a precise altitude of these events. These observations are known as limb measurements, where the instrument is pointing towards Mars' horizon to view these vertical slices. MCS observes the atmosphere in different wavelengths (visible and infrared) to measure temperature, dust, and water-ice content. Thus, I am looking at the dust content MCS is observing at the South pole during a small part of the MY in order to look for these dust events.

My other project is wrapping up some work that used imagery taken from surface spacecraft to investigate wind parameters based on water-ice cloud movement. This work involves video data taken by both the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL, Curiosity rover) and the InSight lander during aphelion to capture these water-ice clouds. Not only are these clouds beautiful to observe, but they can also tell us about wind movement in the part of the atmosphere that isn't investigated as much directly by sensors. We have spacecraft in orbit around Mars capturing high altitudes and spacecraft on the surface capturing local conditions. However, the region in between is harder to study when we cannot put a direct wind sensor in the atmosphere. Perseverance's Ingenuity helicopter was a good start at being able take measurements at altitudes above the surface, but it was still limited to lower altitudes. With wind measurements on Mars already at a low, following the movement of these clouds gives us a hint into the winds in that part of the atmosphere. This work is also unique in that both MSL and InSight were close enough to each other while operational to enable a direct comparison between imagery to determine if they are seeing the same clouds. It is extremely rare that we get two missions operational while also being relatively close to each other (~500 km) so it was an opportunity of a lifetime to measure what each mission is seeing and comparing them. Results from this work will hopefully be published next year and I am excited to see what the Mars community has to say about it!

What science question intrigues you the most?

There is a unique type of cloud on Mars that still needs to be studied and understood as it seems to be different than the typical water-ice clouds that exist in the Aphelion Cloud Belt season, when most water-ice clouds form. These unique clouds are like the noctilucent clouds found here on Earth, which form high enough in the atmosphere that even when the sun is below the horizon, they are lit up within the sky. Hence the name noctilucent, or night-shining. I was on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL, Curiosity) mission when we captured these clouds from the surface; it was a beautiful sight, but questions remained about what type of clouds they were. Were they water-ice composition or carbon dioxide composition? Recent research points to higher altitudes for these clouds where carbon dioxide could freeze (see: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2024GL111183) but altitude alone cannot define type of cloud. Curiosity aims to try to capture these types of clouds every year with the hopes of understanding them more. Not only are they beautiful to see, but they are also a very interesting and not as well-known atmospheric phenomena that is comparable to something we see on Earth. It would be quite interesting to fully determine what type of clouds these are, if they have a repeatable season like the Aphelion Cloud Belt, and if they have any effect on the local atmosphere.

How did you end up working at NASA Goddard?

My sponsor, Scott Guzewich, was a colleague I had worked with for many years onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL, Curiosity) mission. I was a part of the mission's Environmental Theme Group, which helped plan specific observations that investigated the local environment as measured/observed by Curiosity. Once it became time for me to finish my PhD and enter the “real world”, I found out that Scott was looking for a post-doctoral researcher here at Goddard to help with the "B" event analysis that seemed to line up well for when I would defend. It has always been a dream of mine to work with NASA, and once I looked into the Maryland area, I realized that this would be the perfect location to bring my family (spouse, then 3-year-old son and 3 cats). A big benefit was that the research also included continuing to study and analyze the Martian atmosphere, which I loved doing during my graduate degrees, so it was an obvious pick for me to choose Goddard as my next job location.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I am unfortunately just getting back into the groove of having free time and developing hobbies. Between graduate studies and having my son in 2020, I did not have much time to myself. However, now that my son is in school and I have a consistent job, I've learned to pick up my love for reading, video games and animals again. I currently have 3 cats, but I am looking to add a dog to the mix. I also love feeding my birds in the morning and even have a murder of 5 crows that come and ask for peanuts and grapes every morning when they see me filling the feeders. Where I grew up, cardinals were extremely rare to see; now I get a dozen every evening, and it is such a sight for me. I've been lucky enough to be able to rent a duplex with a large backyard that backs onto a forest, so occasionally we get deer, opossums and a local fox coming around. The 7 years before I came to NASA Goddard, our little family was in a small 2-bedroom apartment with no outdoor space, so it feels amazing to have our backyard now. Spending time outside to relax, read, play with my son or even do yoga is high on my list of things to do in my free time. Now with longer growing seasons down here in Maryland (in comparison to Canada), I am hoping to expand my hobbies into gardening as I'd love to be able to grow my own fruit and vegetables, and perhaps even have a beehive.

Tell us about a unique or interesting component of your work-life balance?

I had to develop a healthy work-life balance during my PhD once I became pregnant with my son and realized I couldn't spend late nights working away on my degree. Being a mom is very rewarding, but it can also be a bit difficult, especially on top of doing a PhD (and also being in the pandemic!), so I've worked hard to ensure that I can get my work tasks done at work and then put them away so I can spend time with my son. He is also in activities, such as swimming and dance, so I also must make sure I am home in time to drive him to those activities. One good thing that came out of the pandemic was the ability to work from home when needed, even if it is for a mental break from being in the office. NASA Goddard is especially generous at letting me work from home whenever I need to, and I've decided to fit this into my work-life balance. Mondays and Fridays are typically always work-from-home days so that I can ease in/out of the weekend and spend a bit more time with my family rather than commuting. Now with my backyard (and even my own dedicated office in my house!) I feel like I have plenty of spots to sit, get cozy and be productive. These sessions at home have been so revitalizing for me that this has significantly improved my work-life balance; I am generally happier, and thus get more work done. You can usually find me outside working away studying the Martian atmosphere while enjoying the company of the birds, squirrels and wildlife.

Who inspires you?

Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to be a scientist/astronomer and my Grandma Carol and my Paga (my nickname for my grandpa) were always there to help push me and reach my dreams. They would inspire me to keep going and to work hard at what I did. My Paga would give me astronomy books, even ones particularly about Mars, and talk about how I would get there one day. He is so ecstatic about my job here at Goddard, especially with me continuing my Martian research, and he inspires me every day to keep reaching for the stars. Unfortunately, my Grandma Carol passed away from breast cancer back in my 2nd year of undergraduate degree, and thus she missed all of my achievements that have gotten me where I am today. She was such an important part of my life and has always inspired me to do a STEM career, even as a woman. In her will, she let me go through her closet and pick out any clothes or accessories that I could keep. I try to bring or wear those items to work or conferences as much as I can so that she can always be here with me. I know that she would be so happy and proud of me, and so she is the biggest inspiration to me to keep going and spread the amazing memories I have with her.

What is a fun fact about you?

Now that I am here living in the USA, I have found that being a Canadian has been a fun fact about myself. I have lived in (or visited significantly) every province and territory, minus the Arctic north pole. I was actually supposed to check that off my bucket list for my PhD studies, but the pandemic extremely limited who could/couldn't go up north for research, so I was unfortunately unable to complete that. However, I have lived up in the Yukon territory for some time and would travel to Alaska once in a while. One weekend when I was in Alaska for a vacation, I actually ended up meeting Harrison Ford as he decided to take a vacation in the same small town. I didn't even realize it was him at first, and I wish I had taken a picture! The fact that I have lived and visited all across Canada is a true honor for me as I have experienced all the unique regions of the country and their unique people. One of my favourite places to live was in Halifax, Nova Scotia as it is right on the ocean and such a small, old city. I grew up in the cold prairies, where it would get down to -30 to -50 degrees Celsius (-22 to -58 Degrees Fahrenheit) and so not only was Halifax much warmer, but being near the ocean was amazing. I even chose an apartment in Halifax that was right beside where Canada parks its submarines. Living in Halifax influenced me so much that when we first moved here to Maryland, I was immediately drawn to Annapolis as it had the same vibes as Halifax, and now that is where I live. Overall, I am thoroughly enjoying the climate here in Maryland even though I do miss Canada a lot. If you see me in the hallways and have any Canadian questions, feel free to ask as I always love boasting about my country and the beauty it has to offer!