Emily J. Chin

Broadly, my research aims to study the Earth’s lithosphere - the rigid outer shell composed of tectonic plates and underlying mantle. Since the deep crust and mantle part of the lithosphere (i.e., depths greater than ~15 km) are generally inaccessible, much of what we know about this layer of the Earth comes from xenoliths (accidental fragments of the mantle brought up by volcanoes).

A core part of my research centers around mantle petrology and understanding:
1. Volatiles and trace element geochemistry of mantle lithosphere, both cratonic and Phanerozoic
2.  Deformation processes in the upper mantle constrained from xenoliths
3. Role of mantle lithosphere during arc magmatism

Another broad, and interdisciplinary, research theme of my group is the origin and evolution of continental crust. My approach takes a “bottom up” perspective - focusing on the lower crust and its fundamental role as the first interface (the Moho) encountered by mantle-derived melts. We hope to reconcile observations from shallow crustal studies and surface volcanism in a comprehensive, “trans-crustal/lithospheric” view.

Many of my projects involve exploring the regional geology of California and the Western US.  Currently, I'm working on:
1.  Mafic - ultramafic bodies in the Sierra Nevada Batholith: compositional, isotopic, and rheological constraints on occurrence and emplacement mechanism
2.  The deep crust and lithosphere beneath the Sierra Nevada Batholith
3. Links between surface volcanism and deep magmatism, particularly Tertiary volcanism and xenoliths in Southern California and Baja California
4. Lower crust and mantle xenoliths from the Wyoming Craton