I'm an Earth and planetary geologist working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I study lunar surface processes to inform future lunar exploration and sampling strategies. Prior to earning my doctoral degree at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, I worked as a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, where I studied resource conservation and land-use change.

My current research focuses on understanding the structure of the lunar subsurface, including the development of the lunar soil (“regolith”) and variations among local geologic units. I use impact craters as natural probes of the subsurface, examining how the materials they excavate relate to the coherence of rock buried beneath the regolith. By integrating thermal, optical, and topographic datasets, I investigate how target properties influence rocky crater formation and the distribution of surface boulders. The goal of this work is to constrain regolith depth and subsurface structure, providing insight into the Moon’s geologic history and the evolution of our Solar System. These results also support future exploration efforts by informing astronaut safety considerations and sample collection strategies.

Ph.D., Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2024)

M.Sc., Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2023)

B.Sc., Geology, Temple University (2018)

• Lunar surface processes
• Impact cratering as a probe of planetary crustal structure
• Regolith development and evolution on airless bodies
• Thermal and optical remote sensing of planetary surfaces
• Applications of surface process studies to future lunar exploration and sampling strategies

• Planetary Science  | Planetary Geology, Including Surface Chemistry, Regolith Properties, And Space Weathering

• Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment  
• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter  
• Moon  
• Remote Sensing  
• Surface Processes  

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Postdoctoral Fellow (Present)

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Graduate Research Assistant (2020-2024)

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Graduate Teaching Assistant (2021)

U.S. Geological Survey (National Land Imaging Program), Geologist (2018-2020)

U.S. Geological Survey (Water Resources Mission Area), NAGT Intern (2018)

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Biogeochemistry Laboratory Intern (2017)

• Chertok, M. A., Costello, E. S., Lucey, P. G., Ireland, S. M., & Elder, C. M. (under review). Impact Craters Reveal a Deeper Rock-Poor Lunar Regolith.
• Costello, E. S., Tai Udovicic, C. J., Ghent, R. R., Parker, A., Lucey, P. G., & Chertok, M. A. (under review) The Lunar Highlands are Weathered to 180 Meters Deep.
• Costello, E. S., Acohido, C. L., Chertok, M. A., Ferrari-Wong, C. M., & Ito, A. (under review). Craters and Lunar Lua (Pits/Skylights) in Mare Tranquillitatis and Marius Hills Reveal Variations in Protolith Properties. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
• Chertok, M. A. (2024). Remote Sensing Investigations of Lunar Surface Evolution (Doctoral dissertation, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa).
• Williams, J.-P., Mahanti, P., Robinson, M. S., Wagner, R. V., Chertok, M., et al., (2024). The faustini permanently shadowed region on the moon. The Planetary Science Journal, 5(9), 209.
• Lucey, P. G., Zeigler, R. A., Sun, L., Flom, A., Mosie, A. B., Gross, J., Chertok, M. A. & ANGSA Team. (2024). Infrared spectroscopy of lunar core 73001: Upper limit on hydration in a lunar sample with no history of exposure to terrestrial water vapor. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 129(11), e2024JE008389.
• Chertok, M. A., Lucey, P. G., Costello, E. S., & Ireland, S. M. (2023). The rock abundance of crater populations as a probe of mare protolith properties. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 128(7), e2023JE007767.