Dr. Racine D. Cleveland is a GIS and remote sensing scientist and Planetary Science Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Boise State University in the Department of Physics and Astronomy under the advisement of Dr. Brian Jackson. Her expertise spans geospatial analysis, geodatabases, planetary remote sensing, Python automation, and scientific data management. Her work combines GIS, UAV-enabled field campaigns, remote sensing, and comparative planetology to investigate volatile-driven and aeolian processes across Earth and planetary environments. She has extensive experience developing GIS workflows, teaching and developing GIS courses, managing large imagery datasets, and applying geospatial technologies to NASA planetary datasets.
Skills & Certifications
- GIS: GIS Certificate, ArcGIS, ENVI, SNAP, QGIS, eCognition, BAE Socet Set, Ames Stereo Pipeline, ISIS3, Agisoft Metshape
- Programming: Python, ArcPy, R, Git/GitHub
- Field Instrumentation & Sensor Systems: Arduino programming, environmental sensor integration, dust sensor calibration, embedded data logging systems, electronics assembly and soldering, SD/RTC integration, field instrumentation development
- Other: FAA Part 107 Certified, Conference Moderator (LPSC, Planetary Dune Workshop)
Work Experience
- Supervise undergraduate research on Martian dust devil physics
- Mentor students through project design, analysis, and writing
- Lead research and outreach including publications and observatory programs
- Physical Geology (2024)
- Geodatabases, Spatial Analysis, GIS Applications (2020)
- Earth Science Lab (2019)
- Spatial Analysis using ArcGIS
- Introduction to Geodatabases
- Geospatial Applications
- UAV and satellite image comparison
- Part 107 flight operations
- Converted infrastructure data from AutoCAD to GIS
Education
Of Dunes and Ice: A Surface–Atmosphere Investigation of Mars CO₂ Sublimation Features and Titan Aeolian Fields
Funded Research
- Quantified evolution of Martian South Polar Residual Cap
- o To accomplish this objective, we will determined the size of the pits as a function of time for every location where multiple images of pits overlap. We then developed and use an object-based image method to automatically identify and measure attributes of sublimation pits. Then from multiple measurements, we calculated the surface area evolution over time.
- Published in Remote Sensing (2025)
- Grant number #80NSSC21K1089
Publications
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9716-8968
Cleveland, R. D., Chevrier, V. F., & Tullis, J. A. (2025). Framework for Mapping Sublimation Features on Mars’ South Polar Cap Using Object-Based Image Analysis Remote Sensing, 17(14), 2372.
Professional Presentations
- R. D. Cleveland, M. H. Aly (2025) “Radar Insights into Dune Terrain on Titan and in the Namib Desert”, Eighth International Planetary Dune Workshop, Abstract #3017 (Main Presenter)
- R. D. Cleveland, V. Chevrier, J. A. Tullis (2025) “Exploring the Sublimation Dynamics of Mars’ South Polar Residual Cap”, Eighth International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration, Abstract #6074 (Main Presenter)
- R. D. Cleveland, V. Chevrier, J. A. Tullis (2025) “Swiss Cheese Feature Dynamics: Remote Sensing Analysis”, LPSC LVI, Abstract #2179 (Main Presenter)
- R. D. Cleveland, V. Chevrier, J. A. Tullis (2024) “The Making of Swiss Cheese: A Martian Recipe”, LPSC LV, Abstract #2397 (Main Presenter)
- R. D. Cleveland, V. Chevrier, J. A. Tullis (2023) “An Object-Based Image Analysis of “Swiss Cheese” Terrains’ Evolution on the Martian South Polar Cap”, LPSC LIV, Abstract #2726 (Main Presenter)
- R. D. Swick, V. Chevrier, J. A. Tullis (2020) “An Object-Based Image Analysis of the Swiss Cheese Terrain Evolution on the Martian South Pole: Preliminary Results”, LPSC LI, Abstract #2628 (Main Presenter)
- R. D. Swick, A. Frazier, J. Jacob, and V. Natalie (2019) “Impacts of Land Surface Heterogeneity on Thermodynamic Variables Collected from Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Results from the 2018 LAPSE-RATE Field Campaign”. AMS XCIX, Abstract #S147 (Main Presenter)
Field Work
Dust Devils in Action - Alvord Desert (2026)
- I led a field campaign in the Alvord Desert of southeastern Oregon aimed at investigating dust devil pressure signatures and dust loading through the deployment of a compact (~100 m) network of meteorological stations, aerosol sensors, and time-lapse cameras for long-term monitoring.
NASA Dragonfly Field Campaign — Namib Sand Sea (2025)
- The trip placed Titan and Mars community scientists into a Dragonfly landing site analog environment to study the materials, scales and textures of the unique Namib linear dune landscape where they considered how to translate that experience to Titan. Participants observed the landscape from different locations, helped plan drone flights, with an eye toward what Dragonfly may obtain, and related the results to ground truth. Such a preparatory experience is accessible now and could ultimately lead to the best interpretation and scientific return for the unique data from Dragonfly.