Research in the Rutgers Volcano Lab relates the chemistry, petrology, and physical evolution of magmas to the environmental consequences of magmatism. We examine the deep time archive of volcanic events, including the voluminous magmatic outpourings known as flood basalts, which have been linked in multiple cases to abrupt mass extinctions. From these past natural experiments, we glean insights into the histories of Earth and other planets, and draw lessons for present and future climate. Our work draws on a range of disciplines and tools, typically combining field-based observations with laboratory analyses and numerical modeling.
