The goal of the cluster is to understand and better predict the processes that drive the interior of the Earth and terrestrial planets and model their surface expression.
The research focuses on quantitatively constraining the Earth’s internal processes by determining the nature and rates of change, and magnitude of fluxes. A major goal of the work is to establish the changing thermal, chemical and mechanical structure and properties of the subsurface as a way to understand how the controlling processes operate from lithospheric plate to nm scale in the terrestrial planets and silicate moons.
The methodologies used include field and petrological observations, geochemical and isotopic analysis, dating, experimental petrology, numerical and thermodynamic modeling. We study integrated geological systems where there is interaction between heat-tectonics-magmatism-erosion and sedimentation. In these integrated systems complex feedback relationships occur between rock composition and their physical properties.
Our research can be broadly defined in eight overlapping fields:
- Isotopic and trace element studies of system Earth
- Planetary Science
- Time scales and rates of processes
- Isotopic provenance studies
- EUROPLANET 2024 RI - Europlanet Society
- Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
- Geodynamics & Tectonics
- Geomicrobiology and biogeochemistry
Vistit the profiles of our staff on the Research Portal.