School of Geography and the Environment

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Dr Mary C. Bourke

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Academic Profile

Dr Mary Bourke undertook her Bachelor and Masters degrees at University College Dublin and her Ph.D at the Australian National University. She has held fellowships at the University of Amsterdam, University of Wollongong Australia and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and was Departmental Lecturer here at the School of Geography and the Environment between 2000 and 2003. Her research on desert river systems on Earth and on Mars examines the geomorphic effects of high magnitude floods. She is keen to improve gender issues in academia and was a member of the Executive Committee of the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) from 2001 to 2003. She currently coordinates the IAG Working Group on Planetary Geomorphology. When she is not chasing, or being chased by, floods she enjoys climbing and hiking.

Selected Publications

• Bourke, M., Viles, H., Nicoli, J., Lyew-Ayee, P., Ghent, R., and Holmlund, J. (2008) Innovative applications of laser scanning and rapid prototype printing to rock breakdown experiments. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 33(10): 1614-1621.
• Tanaka, K.L., Rodriguez, J.A., Skinner, J.A., Bourke, M.C., Fortezzo, C.M., Herkenhoo, K.E., Kolb, E.J. and Okubo, C.H. (2008) North polar region of Mars: Advances in stratigraphy, structure, and erosional modification. Icarus, 196(2): 318-358.
• Feldman, W.C., Bourke, M.C., Elphic, R.C., Maurice, S., Bandfeild, J., Prettyman, T.H., Diez, B., and Lawrence, D.J. (2008) Hydrogen content of sand dunes within Olympia Undae. Icarus, 196(2): 422-432.
• Ehlmann, B.L., Viles, H.A. and Bourke, M.C. (2008) Quantitative morphologic analysis of boulder shape and surface texture to infer environmental history: A case study of rock breakdown at the Ephrata Fan, Channeled Scabland, Washington. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113: FO2012.
• Balme, M.R., Bermann, D., Bourke, M.C. and Zimbelman, J.R., (in press, 2008) Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs) on Mars. Geomorphology.
• Bourke, M.C., Edgett, K.S. and Cantor, B.A. (2008) Recent aeolian dune change on Mars. Geomorphology, 94(1-2): 247-255.
• Bourke, M.C., Viles, H.A., Nicoli, J., Lyew-Ayee, P., Ghent, R. and Holmlund, J. (2008) Innovative applications of laser scanning and rapid prototype printing to rock breakdown experiments. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.
• Feldman, W.C., Bourke, M.C., Elphic, R.C., Maurice, S., Bandfield, J., Prettyman, T.H., Diez, B., and Lawrence, D.J. (2008) Hydrogen Content of Sand Dunes within Olympia Undae. Icarus.
• Ehlmann, B.L., Viles, H.A., and Bourke, M.C. (2008) Quantifying boulder shape and surface texture: Using morphology to infer environmental history at the Ephrata fan, Channeled Scablands, Washington. Journal of Geophysical Research (Earth Surface).
• Tanaka, K. L., Rodriguez, J.A.P., Skinner, J.A., Bourke, M.C., Fortezzo, C.A., Herkenhoff, K.E., Kolbe, E.J., and Okubo, C. (2008) North polar region of Mars: Advances in stratigraphy, structure, and erosional modification and possible correlations with south polar stratigraphy. Icarus.
• Bourke, M.C., and Viles, H.A. (eds.) (2007) A Photographic Atlas of Rock Breakdown Features in Geomorphic Environments, Planetary Science Institute, Tucson.
  • Download Atlas [www.psi.edu]
• Rodriguez, J.A.P., Tanaka, K., Langevin, Y., Bourke, M., Kargel, J., Christensen, P., and Sasaki, S. (2007) Recent aeolian erosion and deposition in the north polar plateau of Mars. Mars: The International Journal of Mars Science and Exploration, 3: 29-41.
• Hayward, R.K., Mullins, L.K., Fenton, K.F., Hare, T.M., Titus, T.N., Bourke, M., Colprete, A., and Christensen, P.R. (2007) Mars Digital Dune Database. Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets), 112(E11007).
• Bourke, M.C., Balme, M., Bayer, R., Williams, K.K., and J.R. Zimbelman (2006) A comparison of methods used to estimate the height of sand dunes on Mars. Geomorphology, 81(3-4): 440-452.
• Hasiotis, S.T. and Bourke, M.C. (2006) Continental trace fossils and museum exhibits: displaying organism behavior frozen in time. The Geological Curator, 8: 211-226.
• Weitz, C., Irwin, R.P., Chuang, F., Bourke, M.C. and D.A. Crown (2006) Formation of a Terraced Fan Deposit in Coprates Catena, Mars. Icarus, 184: 436-451.
• Bourke, M.C., and M. Thorp (2005) Rainfall-triggered slope failures in eastern Ireland. Irish Geography, 38(1): 1-22.
• Morrison, Z., M.C. Bourke, and C. Kelley (2005) Stop making it such a big issue: Gender inequality, denial and the experiences and perceptions of under-graduates at a British University. Women's Studies International Forum, 28(2-3): 150-162.
• Bhattacharya, J.P., Payenberg, T.H.D., Lang, S.C. and Bourke, M.C. (2005) Dynamic river channel suggests a long-lived Noachian crater lake on Mars. Geophysical Research Letters, 32(L10201).
• Bourke, M.C., Bullard, J. and Barnouin-Jha, O. (2004) Aeolian sediment transport pathways and aerodynamics at troughs on Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109.
• Bourke, M.C. (2004) Scabland, channeled scabland. In: A. Goudie (Editor), Encyclopedia of Geomorphology. Routledge, London. pp. 912-914.
• Miyamoto, H., Dohm, J.M., Baker, V.R., Beyer, R.A. and Bourke, M.C. (2004) Dynamics of unusual debris flows on Martian sand dunes. Geophysical Research Letters, 31.
• Bourke, M.C., Child, A. and Stokes, S. (2003) Optical age estimates for hyper-arid fluvial silts at Homeb, Namibia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 22(10-13): 1099-1103.
• Bourke, M.C. (2003) A small-scale throughflow outburst in a heterolithic ephemeral channel. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 73(1): 2-4. [Request reprint here]
• Bourke, M.C. (2002) Suspended sediment concentrations and geomorphic effect of sub-bankfull flow in a central Australian stream. In, Dyer, F., Thoms, M. and Olley, J (eds.) The Structure, Function and Management Implications of Fluvial Sedimentary Systems. IAHS Publ. no. 276, pp. 315-324.
  • Download [PDF: 323KB]
• Bulmer, M.H., Barnouin-Jha, O.S., Peiterson, M.N. and Bourke, M. (2002) An Empirical Approach to Studying Debris Flows - Implications for Planetary Modeling Studies. Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets 107, E5.
• Pickup, G., Marks, A. and Bourke M.C. (2002) Paleoflood reconstruction on arid floodplains using geophysical survey data and hydraulic modeling. In, P.K. House, R.H. Webb, V.R. Baker, and D.R. Levish (eds.) Ancient Floods, Modern Hazards: Principles and Applications of Paleoflood Hydrology. Water Science and Application, Volume 5, American Geophysical Union, Washington DC.
• Bourke, M.C. and Pickup, G. (1999) Variability of Fluvial Forms in the Todd River, Central Australia. In, Miller, A. and Gupta, A. (eds.) Varieties of Fluvial Forms. Wiley. pp. 249-271.
• Bourke, M.C. (1998) Channel Adjustment to Extreme Events in Central Australia. Proceedings of the Institute of ANZGG, Univ. of Waikato.
• Bourke, M.C. (1997) The Age of Two Human Occupation Sites in the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges, Central Australia. Australian Archaeology, 45: 55-57.
• Bourke, M.C. (1994) Cyclical Constuction and Destruction of Flood Dominated Floodplains in Semiarid Central Australia. In, Olive, L.J. and Loughlan, R.J. (eds.) Variability in Stream Erosion and Sediment Transport, IAHS, 224, pp 113-123.