Kynan Hughson

Dr. Kynan Hughson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton). He specializes in planetary geology, focusing on geological and hydrological processes shaping Earth, Mars, Ceres, and icy moons. His research employs remote sensing, geophysical field methods, and modeling to study ground ice dynamics, periglacial landforms, and subsurface structures.

Key projects include the NASA-funded Pingo SubTerranean Aquifer Reconnaissance and Reconstruction (Pingo STARR) project (2020–2024), which examines Arctic pingos as planetary analogs, and the Chill Hills project analyzing Ceres’ pingo-like features via geophysical mapping and spatial clustering. He teaches Engineering Geology and leads first-year field schools.

His work bridges Earth and planetary science, with recent publications on Ceres’ geology and subsurface processes. Dr. Hughson’s research emphasizes advancing exploration technologies for icy worlds and high-resolution ground ice mapping on Mars and Ceres.