Primary Convener:
John Ortiz, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Convener:
David Burtt, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Yu-Feng Lin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Julian Chesnutt, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Early Career Convener:
Mohammad Afzal Shadab, Princeton University

Chair:
David Burtt, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Yu-Feng Lin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Julian Chesnutt, North Carolina State University Raleigh
Mohammad Afzal Shadab, University of Texas at Austin

Scientific exploration of Mars is proceeding rapidly, driven by multiple extended missions, preparation for Mars Sample Return, and prioritization of the ExoMars rover and human exploration as outlined in the Decadal Survey. Maximizing scientific return through interdisciplinary collaboration is more essential than ever. This exploration follows four key themes: 1) physical, chemical, and thermodynamic properties of Mars’ crust, 2) the distribution and stability of liquid water and ice inventories using novel and Earth-based methods, 3) the provenance, cycling, and isotopic composition of bio-relevant trace gases, and 4) identification of habitable “refugia environments” where conditions could feasibly support an extant biosphere. For the eighth “New Mars Underground”, we invite abstracts that advance these themes at the nexus of the martian surface and subsurface, particularly those that integrate remote sensing, modeling, terrestrial analogs/synthetic samples, and mission concept development to illuminate topics in planetary evolution, comparative planetology, and development of habitable environments.

Index Terms
6207 Comparative planetology
6225 Mars
6297 Instruments and techniques
5455 Origin and evolution

Neighborhoods:
4. Beyond Earth

Cross-Listed:
H - Hydrology