In 2007 Matt Balme continued work on a Mars Data Analysis Program funded project to study small Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs) on Mars. This work seeks to understand the origin of the sediment that forms these small dunes and to assess whether they are currently active or formed in the distant past. During the spring of 2007, Balme, working with Dan Berman, finished the data gathering part of the project, having searched many 1000s of Mars Orbiter Camera Narrow Angle (MOC NA) images for TARs. A new GIS of TARs has been created that documents their occurrence in the north and south hemisphere on Mars. The new 3-part classification scheme has also been implemented in the GIS. These data have been presented at a number of conferences and the first publication from this project has been accepted for publication in the journal 'Geomorphology' - pending minor corrections. Balme wrote two proposals for the Mars Fundamental Research Programme, one to perform field studies of dust devils, the other to study small gullies using large scale laboratory experiments. The dust devil project was funded and will begin in 2008, the gullies proposal was rejected. Balme also became an editor for the Planetary Exploration Newsletter.
In his 8 months away from PSI, Balme has continued to work at the Open University. In summer of 2007 he spent two weeks in Iceland involved in field work with his PhD student, Susan Conway. They made high-resolution GPS measurements of debris flows and organised LIDAR remote sensing measurements. Balme again convened the Planetary Geomorphology session at the European Geophysical Union general assembly, and has been short-listed for an 'Aurora' Fellowship.
Balme, M.R., M.C. Bourke, and D.C. Berman, New observations on Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs) on Mars, Geomorphology, accepted pending minor corrections, 2007
Metzger, S.M., M.R Balme, M.C Towner, B. Bos, T.J. Ringrose, M.R. Patel, In-situ measurements of particle load and sediment flux in dust devils, Geophys. Res. Lets., in review, 2007
Balme, M.R., D.C. Bermann, and M.A. Bourke, Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs) on Mars, EGU General Assembly abstracts, EGU2007-A-11504; GM26-1WE5P-0412, Vienna, 2007.