Research Overview

​Prof. Christy Till is a geologist who leads a multidisciplinary research program that studies the role of magma in the formation and evolution of planets.  Utilizing high pressure and high temperature experiments and studies of natural rocks, her research focuses on large-scale Earth and planetary science problems including, 1) determining the likely composition of exoplanet crusts in an effort to understand which planets have the highest potential for habitability, 2) quantifying the rates of processes that occur in a magma chamber in the days to years before an eruption to better predict a volcano’s future behavior, and 3) ascertaining the composition of magma that results from plate tectonics, in order to determine the long term chemical evolution of the Earth’s mantle and the contribution of magmatic processes to the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere.

To explore these questions, she use a combination of:
  • One atmosphere, piston cylinder and multi-anvil experiments to generate magma in the laboratory
  • In-situ analytical techniques such as electron probe, SIMS/SHRIMP, NanoSIMS and LA-ICPMS to examine samples generated in the lab and collected in the field 
  • Quantitative chemical models to integrate experimental and analytical observations 

See the below links for more details on individual projects.

Timescales of Magmatic Processes at Explosive Volcanoes

Our research focuses on the processes in the days to centuries leading to explosive eruptions beneath volcanoes such as Yellowstone caldera to determine their likely future behavior.  Our work also focuses on methodological improvements in diffusion chronometry.

Generation of Mantle Melts at Plate Boundaries

​A spectrum of near-primary mantle melts are injected into the crustal plumbing systems of volcanoes, which are attributed to a variety of melting mechanisms depending on the tectonic setting.  Current research investigates the specifics and spatial distribution of these melting processes in the upper mantle, with particular emphasis on melting at convergent plate margins.

Slab-Mantle Interactions at Subduction Zones

Quantifying the chemical reactions that result from the recycling of tectonic plates at subduction zones is required to ultimately model the differentiation of our planet and its unique evolution among the terrestrial planets in the solar system.  Through the study of rare exhumed samples from the mantle wedge and high-pressure and temperature experiments, we seek to better quantify these reactions.

Composition of Exoplanetary Crusts & Mantles

With the aim of identifying exoplanets with the highest probability of supporting life, we seek to identify the likely compositions and mineralogy of exoplanet crusts and upper mantles, as well as the characteristics of volcanos on a range of rocky exoplanets.

Research Facilities: Experimental Petrology & igneous Processes Center (EPIC)

EPIC includes a state of the art lab for the petrologic investigation of natural and experimental igneous rocks, which is home to several Kennedy and Boyd & England style end-loaded piston cylinders and one atmosphere gas mixing furnaces for studies up to 4 GPa & 2000°C. See more: EPIC@ASU