Petrology, Geochemistry & Volcanology

Petrology, Geochemistry & Volcanology research at UCSB uses geochemical, geochronological, petrological, geophysical and structural geology approaches to understand the evolution of the solid Earth. In particular, our research seeks to understand a) the relationship between tectonics and volcanism, including mid-ocean ridge volcanism, intraplate volcanism and volcanism of active continental margins, b) the composition, origin and evolution of the continental crust, c) the processes operating within active and ancient volcanoes, including formation and evolution of  of magma chambers and magma dynamics, and crustal anatexis. Learn more about our Petrology, Geochemistry and Volcanology research facilities.