Publications

SELECT PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (first author)

Molaro, J. L., 2023. The Art of Planetary Science: Art as a tool for inquiry and its role in the future of space exploration, Culture and Cosmos, 27, no. 1 and 2, Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2023, 173-190. 

Molaro, J. L., S. Wells-Jensen, A. Kapusta, et al. 2024. Mission AstroAccess: Testing accessibility accommodations for disabled and mixed-ability crews operating in space-like environments, with implications for accessible design and inclusive human spaceflight,  Acta Astronautica 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.02.012

Molaro, J. L., C. W. Hergenrother, S. R. Chesley, K. J. Walsh, R. D. Hanna, C. W. Haberle, R.-L. Ballouz, S. R. Schwartz, W. F. Bottke, H. J. Campins, and D. S. Lauretta, 2020. Thermal fatigue as a mechanism for asteroid activity, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 125(8), p.e2019JE006325, DOI: 10.1029/2019JE006325.

Molaro, J. L., K.J. Walsh, E.R. Jawin, R.-L. Ballouz, C. A. Bennett, D. N. DellaGiustina, D. R. Golish, C. Drouet d’Aubigny, B. Rizk, S. R. Schwartz, R.D. Hanna, S. J. Martel, M. Pajola, H. Campins, A. J. Ryan, W. F. Bottke, and D. S. Lauretta, 2020. In situ evidence of thermally induced rock breakdown widespread on Bennu’s surface, Nature Communications, 11(1), 1-11, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16528-7. 

Molaro, J. L., M. Choukroun, C. B. Phillips, E. S. Phelps, R. Hodyss,, K. L. Mitchell, J. L. Lora, G. Merion-Griffith, 2018. The microstructural evolution of water ice in the solar system through sintering, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 10.1029/2018JE005773.

Molaro, JL, S Byrne, and J-L Le, 2017. Thermally induced stresses in lunar boulders, implications for breakdown. Icarus, 294, pp.247-261.

Molaro, JL, 2015. Stress, on the rocks: Thermally induced stresses in rocks and microstructures on airless bodies, implications for breakdown. University of Arizona, 3733225. [Dissertation]

Molaro, JL, S Byrne, and S Langer, 2015. Grain-scale thermoelastic stresses and spatiotemporaltemperature gradients on airless bodies, implications for rock breakdown. JGR Planets 120,DOI: 10.1002/2014JE004729. 

Molaro, JL, and S Byrne, 2012. Rates of Temperature Change of Airless Landscapes and Implications for Thermal Stress Weathering. JGR Planets 117, E10, DOI: 10.1029/2012JE004138.

Molaro, JL, and CP McKay, 2010. Processes controlling rapid temperature variations on rock surfaces. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 35: 501-507.

SELECT COAUTHOR PUBLICATIONS 

Choukroun, M., J. L. Molaro, R. Hodyss, E. Marteau, P. Backes, E. M. Carey, W. Dhaouadi, S. Moreland, and E. M. Schulson, 2020. The strength evolution of ice plume deposit analogs of Enceladus and Europa. Geophysical Research Letters, 47(15), e2020GL088953.

Walsh, K. J., E. R. Jawin, R. L. Ballouz, O. S. Barnouin, E. B. Bierhaus, H. C. Connolly, J. L. Molaro, T. J. McCoy, M. Delbo, C. M. Hartzell, and M. Pajola, 2019. Craters, boulders and regolith of (101955) Bennu indicative of an old and dynamic surface. Nature Geoscience, p.1.

DellaGiustina, D. N., J. P. Emery, D. R. Golish, B. Rozitis, C. A. Bennett, K. N. Burke, R. L. Ballouz, K. J. Becker, P. R. Christensen, C. D. d’Aubigny, et al [including  J. L. Molaro], 2019. Properties of rubble-pile asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx imaging and thermal analysis. Nature Astronomy, p.1.

Graves, K. J., D. A. Minton, J. L. Molaro, M. Hirabayashi, 2019. Resurfacing asteroids from thermally induced surface degradation. Icarus, DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2019.01.003.

Elder, C. M., A. M. Bramson, A. Davis, H. T. Chilton, L. W. Blum, A. Chopra, C. Chu, A. Khayat, A. Delgado, J. Fulton, L. Jozwiak, M. Landis, J. L. Molaro, M. Slipski, S. Valencia, A. Das, J. Watkins, C. Young, C. J. Budney, K. L. Mitchell, 2018. OCEANUS: A Focused Mission to the Uranus System. Acta Astronautica, 148, pp.1-11.

Neish, C, JL Molaro, JM Lora, AD Howard, RL Kirk, P Schenk, VJ Bray, and RD Lorenz, 2015. Fluvial erosion as a mechanism for crater modification on Titan. Icarus, 270: 114-129.

Eppes, MC, A Willis, JL Molaro, S Abernathy, and B Zhou, 2015. Cracks in Martian boulders exhibit preferred orientations that point to solar-induced thermal stress. Nature Communications, 6, 6712, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7712.

Xiao, Z, Z Zeng, N Ding, and JL Molaro, 2013. Mass wasting features on the moon – how active is the Lunar surface? Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 376: 1-11. 

Pelletier, JD, SB DeLong, CA Orem, P Becerra, K Compton, K Gressett, J Lyons-Baral, LA McGuire, JL Molaro, JC Spinler, 2012. How do vegetation bands form in dry lands? Insights from numerical modeling and field studies in southern Nevada, USA. JGR Earth Surface 117, F4: 10.1029/2012JF002465. 

McKay CP, JL Molaro, and MM Marinova, 2009. High-frequency rock temperature data from hyper arid desert environments in the Atacama and the Antarctic Dry Valleys and implications for rock weathering. Geomorphology, 110: 183-187.