Kilauea Iki Lava Lake (USGS)

My research interest focuses on the composition and evolution of the continental crust, mantle heterogeneity and the origin and evolution of the solar system. To address these questions, I study both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial materials through analyses of non-traditional stable isotopes (lithium, magnesium and iron) and radiogenic isotopes produced by the decay of short-lived nuclides (e.g., 26Al).


My research techniques involve both purification of targeted elements through column chromatography in a clean sample preparation laboratory and high-precision isotopic analyses using High Resolution Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (HR-MC-ICPMS).


My current projects are: 1) applying Al-Mg isotopic systematics to study the formation and evolution of the early solar system; 2) tracing crust-mantle interactions by using lithium and magnesium isotopes; 3) studying planetary differentiation by using iron isotopes.


Find more details about my research interests and our facilities in the Isotope Laboratory website.

Diffusion-driven kinetic Li isotope fractionation (Teng et al. 2006 EPSL)