Dr. Carter’s research interests include volcanism and impact cratering on the terrestrial planets and Moon, surface properties of asteroids and outer Solar System moons, planetary analog field studies, climate change, and the development of radar remote sensing techniques. She is currently a a team member on five spacecraft instruments: SHARAD on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mini-RF on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, RIMFAX on Mars2020, REASON on the Europa flagship mission, and Shadowcam on Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter.

She also uses Earth-based telescope radar observations to obtain polarimetric images of planets, the Moon and asteroids. Prior field studies using ground penetrating radar have included Kilauea lava flows and pyroclastics in Hawaii, Sunset crater and Meteor crater in Arizona, and permafrost sites near Bonanza Creek outside of Fairbanks Alaska. She is also part of a team at Goddard developing a polarimetric digital beamforming radar system for planetary or Earth orbiter missions.