We use field, analytical, and experimental methods to study magmas as they accumulate in crustal storage regions, mix and equilibrate with other magmas, ascend during volcanic eruptions, and are emplaced on the surfaces of Earth and other planets. Our interest in constraining and utilizing the differences in the rates of magmatic processes links the disciplines of physical volcanology, petrology, crystallography, and materials characterization. The Experimental Petrology laboratory is capable of studying both natural and synthetic materials of geological importance at high temperatures (600–1700°C) at pressures corresponding to a depth range in the Earth’s crust of 0–12 km (1 bar to 4 kbar).

 

Picrite image Atacama photo Deltec photo