Research in Geochemistry

Chile Ridge > - Hess Deep > - EPR Incipient Rift >

Ocean ridge basalts are the products of mantle melting; as such, they provide a "window" into the sub-oceanic mantle and the processes of melt generation and accretion of the oceanic crust. The primary research focus of Dr. Emily M. Klein, in collaboration with her graduate students, involves the study of geochemical variations among ocean ridge basalts and underlying crustal rocks, using diverse tools of major and trace element and isotopic analysis. The goal of this work is to understand the origin of variations in magma composition, such as the inter-relationships among depth and pressure of melting, and variations in mantle composition, as well as the changes that take place as magma rises and solidifies to form the oceanic crust. Klein's work also includes examining the relationships between chemical systematics and geophysical parameters of the ocean Much of this work involves sea-going mapping and sampling expeditions with graduate students and co-workers. Klein and her graduate students have worked on diverse topics, including global and regional studies of ocean ridge magmatism, detailed studies of samples collected by the submersible Alvin, and U-series dating of ocean ridge lavas. The following studies provide recent (and up-coming) examples of this line of research.