Research directions
Volcanology, petrology, isotope geochemistry.
Differentiation of magmas in trans-crustal magmatic systems
The physico-chemical evolution of magmas from melting in the mantle to eruption at the Earth's surface strongly controls the physical evolution of volcanoes. It is also fundamental to the genesis of chemically differentiated continental crust, a characteristic feature of the Earth. As part of this work, we investigate the crustal section of arc volcanic chains accreted and tilted during the Himalayan orogeny. The aim is to get a better understanding of the mechanisms and locus of magma differentiation in trans-crustal magmatic systems.
The making of andesites
Magmas of andesitic composition play a particularly important role in Earth’s evolution. On one hand, they represent a consequent part of the magmas feeding large explosive stratovolcanoes in subduction zones. On the other hand, they are regarded as the building block of continental crust (which has an andesitic bulk chemical composition). Yet the genetic connection between these two faces of andesites is not straightforward and warrant further investigation.
Petrological monitoring of active volcanoes
The chemistry of magmas and of the minerals they contain provide valuable information on the physical characteristics of magmatic reservoirs prior to an eruption. Connecting a posteriori changes in the pre-eruptive state of magmatic reservoirs and variations in eruption intensity is essential to get a better understanding of the parameters controlling the explosivity of volcanoes. To this aim, we conduct detailed mineralogical and geochemical analyses of magmas erupted at hyperactive arc volcanoes.
