Dr. Mara H. Reed
Mara likes to observe and experience the natural world. After several family trips to Yellowstone National Park, she became a geyser gazer—a person who watches water boil for fun—and later pursued graduate school to study the controls on geyser eruption timing. When introduced to adventure in wild caves in West Virginia and California, she became a caver—a person who crawls around underground for fun—and then joined NCKRI to follow her growing interest in karst management.
Mara’s dissertation research focused on understanding the 2018 reactivation and dynamics of Steamboat Geyser, which produces the world’s tallest geyser eruptions. She also characterized periodic disturbances to the Norris Geyser Basin hydrothermal system that alter geyser activity. Mara has conducted a variety of fieldwork in Yellowstone to support hydrothermal research, including mapping rocks ejected from the 2024 hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin and dipping video cameras into hot springs to image steam bubble collapse. During summer 2025, Mara served the National Park Service as a Physical Science Technician in Yellowstone. She became a steward of the park’s geyser basins and applied her hydrothermal expertise to field safety and geyser monitoring challenges.
Continuing her habit of turning hobbies into jobs, Mara brought her experience with time series analysis, data management, and caving to NCKRI in 2026. Mara will develop procedures to quantify human impact on caves near Carlsbad and support NCKRI’s partners at national parks around the country. As someone who often straddles communities, she understands the challenges of juggling hobbyist, researcher, and manager interests. Mara also enjoys cave photography and organizing opportunities for new cavers to expand their skillsets.
Education
Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley 2025
Bachelor of Science, Physics, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 2018
Selected Recent Publications
Cross T, Reed MH (2024). Digging into the history of hydrothermal explosions at Biscuit Basin. Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles.
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Reed MH, Barth A., Taira T, Farrell J, Manga M (2024). A shake and a surge: Assessing the possibility of an earthquake-triggered eruption at Steamboat Geyser. Volcanica 7 (2), p. 733–748.
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Reed MH, Munoz-Saez C, Hajimirza S, Wu S-M, Barth A, Girona T, Rasht-Behesht M, White EB, Karplus MS, Hurwitz S, and Manga M (2021). The 2018 reawakening and eruption dynamics of Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest active geyser. PNAS 118 (2), e2020943118.
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To see Mara’s complete publication record, visit her Google Scholar profile.