Dr. Hofton attended the University of Durham, Durham, UK, where she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies, obtaining her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences in 1995.  She was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at the University of California, San Diego, as well as, Postdoctoral Researcher at Mullard Space Science Laboratory at the University College, London and Visiting Scientist at the US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA.  She is a fellow of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California and a member of the American Geophysical Union, Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, and Joint Center for Observation System Science (JCOSS).

Research Interests:

Topographic applications of data collected by medium-large footprint laser altimeters (e.g., Vegetation Canopy Lidar, Geoscience Laser Altimeter System). Detecting and monitoring topographic change and surface deformation using laser altimetry. Laser altimetry waveform analysis for precise surface ranging and surface information extraction.

Representative Publications:

1.      J. B. Blair and M. A. Hofton, “Modeling Large Footprint Laser Altimeter Return Using High-Resolution Elevation Data”, Geophysical Research Letters, 26, 2509-2512, 1999.

2.      Hofton, M. A., J.-B. Minster, J. R. Ridgway, N. P. Williams, J. B. Blair, D. L. Rabine, and J. L. Bufton, “Three epochs of airborne laser altimetry surveys at Long Valley, California”, in Remote Sensing of Active Volcanism, AGU Geophysical Monograph Series, ed. P. Mouginis-Mark et al., 249-264, 2000.

3.      Blair, J. B., D. L. Rabine, and M. A. Hofton, “The Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS): A medium-altitude, digitization-only, airborne laser altimeter for mapping vegetation and topography”, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 56, 112-122, 1999.

4.      Hofton, M. A., and G. R. Foulger; “Postrifting anelastic around the spreading plate boundary north Iceland, 1. Modeling of the 1987-1992 deformation field using a viscoelastic Earth structure”, Journal of Geophysical Research, 101, 25, 403-25, 421, 1996.

5.      Hofton, M. A., and G. R. Foulger; “Postrifting anelastic around the spreading plate boundary north Iceland, 2. Implications of the model derived from the 1987-1992 deformation field”, Journal of Geophysical Research, 101, 25, 423-25, 436, 1996.

6.      Hofton, M. A., J. B. Rundle, and G. R. Foulger; “Horizontal deformation due to dike emplacement in an elastic-gravitational layer overlying a viscoelastic-gravitational halfspace”, Journal of Geophysical Research, 100, 6329-6338, 1995.