Who we are

Group chair

My research follows magmas from source to surface, and seeks answers about volcanic systems, planetary differentiation and evolution of the Earth’s crust. In our increasingly overpopulated world, volcanic activity can lead to devastation on an unprecedented scale, but magmas also provide riches (hydrothermal energy, mineral resources) and it remains more important than ever to continue to probe magmatic side of our planet. The approach to research that my group thrives to follow is to define a problem and use the most appropriate tool available to obtain an answer. We therefore study magmatic rock units from many different locations around the world, and use multiple techniques, including field geology, mineral chemistry, major, trace and isotope geochemistry, geochronology, and physical modelling, all of which are too rarely combined in geosciences. Pursuing a truly multi-disciplinary route is challenging, but vital if we are to make progress over the next decades, both in terms of our understanding of the natural world, and on how we present it to the public and students.

Senior Scientists and Postdocs

Julien is the electron microprobe specialist in charge of the SEM and EPMA. These instruments provide both images and quantitative analysis at the micron-scale. Throughout his career, he gains a strong interest for mineralogy and geochemistry. His research is now focusing on rare earth elements and the investigation of REE-rich pegmatite within the Pikes Peak Batholith in Colorado. The characterisation and certification of existing and future reference material for quantitative microanalysis is another core aspect of his research. He also manages and creates several websites to help the scientific community, notably the external page Database of electon MicroAnalysis and the external page Focused Interest Group on Microanalytical Standards.

I'm Giuliano Camilletti, a dedicated geoscientist with a passion for understanding the intricate processes that shape our planet. My expertise is in geochemistry, specifically applied to magmatic processes in both igneous plutonic and volcanic rocks.
Fieldwork has played a significant role in my professional development. Over the past few years, I’ve gained extensive experience through more than 300 days of geological expeditions across various mountain ranges in Argentina, including the Andes (+5000 masl), the Puna (4000 masl), and the Sierras Pampeanas. My research is focused on ancient volcanic arcs, with the goal of understanding deep magmatic processes—how magma evolves and moves deep within the crust—to contribute to our understanding of modern volcanism.
In addition to my research, I’m also an avid photographer, cyclist, and mountaineer.

Marcel Guillong is the Laser ablation ICP-MS specialist, a chemist by training and works with LA-ICP-MS since his diploma thesis with Detlef Günter back in 2000. After the PhD he moved to the earth sciences developing and improving LA-ICP-MS instruments, methods, data reduction and reference materials. His main interests are Geochronological analyses and the constant improvement of instruments and methods.

Răzvan is a volcanologist, studying active volcanoes around the world, especially some of the biggest and meanest systems. He is mostly interested in how magma chamber conditions affect eruptive behaviors, and on finding ways to forecast the future eruption styles of volcanoes: will their magmas blow, or will they flow? He is also interested in the life-cycle of volcanoes, especially those that form calderas, and in the nucleation and growth mechanisms of magma chambers. And in other things as well, including photography, stories and sustainable development. He does like volatiles.

Julian is geologist with a keen interest in magmatic material (re-)cycling and the characterization of key reservoirs at the interface between the lithosphere and asthenosphere, especially along convergent plate boundaries. He’s particularly focused on developing quantitative estimates of the primary components beneath both active and long-extinct magmatic systems. After all, (almost) every mass balance in igneous petrology starts with a solid quantification of its main components, which is why Julian recently joined the department’s team dedicated to whole-rock analysis using XRF.

Fascinated by magmatic differentiation processes, he seeks to explore the details of melt-cumulate segregation using stable isotope systems—he has a particular affinity for titanium isotopes—alongside petrological experiments. At IGP, Julian is currently broadening his "tectonic setting" to include intraplate hot and dry rhyolite systems in the advanced stages of magmatic differentiation. His goal is to uncover how zircon, that essential mineral for geochronology, forms and what conditions it truly records.

Current doctoral students

Maria Paula (Mapu) is a geochemist and geochronologist focused on the geochemical signatures and durations of igneous processes , especially those that result in economic metal enrichments. She received her bachelor degree from Universidad Industrial de Santander (Colombia) in 2017 and moved to Zurich for her master studies. In 2019 she received her Master's degree from ETH Zurich and continued as a doctoral candidate. For her research she relies on diverse minerals like zircon, titanite, sanidine and garnet, in volcanic, subvolcanic, hydrothermal and plutonic rocks to decipher its geologic history.

Arka is a doctoral student and a part of the InSight Planet MARS project. His work, co-supervised by Prof Chris Huber (Brown University) primarily involves the investigation of young Martian volcanism and crustal evolution with the aid of numerical models. He also works with Martian rocks (meteorites), trying to spill some secrets about the magma chambers where they were formed. His larger goal is to provide a better understanding of the magma plumbing system under the giant Martian shield volcanoes as well as smaller rifts and fissures, some of which might be active even today!

Emanuel has a deep passion for mountain, particularly those that are part of volcanic chains. As a field-based igneous petrologist, his research focuses on the mechanisms of melt transfer through trans-lithospheric magmatic systems. He works in the Famatinian Arc in northwestern Argentina, one of the few places in the world where a complete section of continental crust is exposed. By combining field observations with geochemical, isotopic, and physical techniques, he wants to understand the thermo-chemical and thermo-mechanical processes involved in transporting magmas from the mantle to the upper crust.

Although Tobias is passionate about volcanoes, he finds what goes on in the crust beneath them much more enigmatic. Therefore, his research focuses on granite intrusions and the processes that take place during emplacement of these batholiths. His main research area is the Pikes Peak batholith in Colorado, where he looks at different suites of intrusive igneous rocks. He studies samples from the field to reconstruct the emplacement history of this large batholith during the so-called "Boring Billion", a period of relatively little tectonic activity between 1.8 and 1.0 billion years ago. Tobias has a particular interest in pegmatites, specifically those that contain minerals rich in rare-earth elements, which are critical for many modern high-tech applications and for the shift toward green energy technologies.

Zoe has been fascinated by the beauty and power of active volcanos ever since she can remember. Being the place with the most rhyolitic extrusives and hosting the biggest geothermal area of Iceland, she is particularly interested in the active Torfajökull volcanic system that combines the most beautiful obsidians together with a big caldera structure. Through obtaining accurate and precise petrological and geochronological data she aims to constrain the current conditions in the shallow subvolcanic reservoir by determining the current stage of Torfajökull within its caldera-cycle.

Michelle's research centers on subduction zone volcanism, particularly in the Kyushu region of Japan, one of the most active areas of magma production. She focuses on dating young caldera-forming systems and interpreting these events in the context of their petrological characteristics. By combining geochronological data with detailed petrographic and geochemical analyses, she aims to unravel the processes driving magma evolution and eruption dynamics. Her work seeks to improve our understanding of how large-scale volcanic systems develop over time and their implications for volcanic hazards in subduction settings.

Thierry uses numerical modelling tools to understand fluid flow in the magmatic-hydrothermal realm of silicic systems, specifically applied to the Taupō Volcanic Zone. He is part of a multi-disciplinary project in New Zealand aimed at searching for and understanding external page supercritical geothermal resources. His work helps to better delineate where high-temperature geothermal resources occur and thus helps to decrease the economical and ecological cost of renewable energy production.

Sun Yi is a mineralogist/earth scientist and has been fascinated by crystals and minerals since childhood. He spends most of his time in the lab to extract tiny mineral grains (for example zircon, baddeleyite, apatite) from crushed rock samples and analyses them to obtain crystallization ages and geochemical information, which are used to get insights into the development and evolution of intraplate magmatic systems, particularly in Namibia.

Scientific Staff

Léon is an Earth Scientist and produces videos for teaching at our Department. He currently works on teaching videos for a course on magmatism. For that, he goes to the field and films at different locations to explain the igneous processes to the students. By filming in the field, Léon can establish strong link to the conditions in the "real world" outside the classroom.