Significant insight into reaction mechanism can be derived from the analysis of surface topography and kinetics of alteration of interfaces as a function of their environment. These data have largely been the purview of scanning and atomic force instruments, traditional optical microscopy, and electron beam technologies. We introduce here an integrated approach that combines vertical scanning interferometry, atomic force microscopy, and other techniques with kinetic Monte Carlo calculations. The combination of molecular-scale modeling techniques and quantitative laboratory-based measurements creates powerful feedbacks that allow insight not obtainable from any single method. We discuss potential applications for ceramic systems and present results from ceramic UO(2) experiments as an example.