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Sumino-Hibiya Lab
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The lab reads the past and present of the Earth and the solar system from noble gas isotopes.
AboutAbout the lab
Tracing the Earth's environmental past, present, and future through isotopes
The Sumino Lab studies the past and present of the Earth and the solar system by analyzing isotopes in natural samples such as meteorites, volcanic rocks, and volcanic gases.
Using noble gas isotopes in particular as clues, the lab seeks to clarify the origin and history of chemical heterogeneity in the Earth's interior, as well as the course of the evolution of the atmosphere and oceans.
For analysis, the lab uses mass spectrometers that it has developed in-house.
The lab is run jointly, as a single lab, with the Hibiya Lab (Cosmic and Planetary Materials Evolution) at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology.
Key terms
- Isotope
- Atoms of the same element that differ in mass because their nuclei contain different numbers of neutrons
- Noble gas
- A gaseous element, such as helium, neon, or argon, that hardly reacts with other substances
- Mass spectrometer
- An instrument that separates atoms or molecules by mass and measures the amount of each
NewsLab news
Updated information on graduate school admissions and on how to apply for a lab visit
A student won a poster presentation award from the Isotope Ratio Division of the Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan
Results on helium isotope ratios in groundwater around volcanoes were published in Geoscience Letters
Associate Professor Hibiya launched the Cosmic and Planetary Materials Evolution division at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology
ResearchResearch themes
The lab measures the concentrations and isotope ratios of highly volatile elements, including noble gases, in meteorites and in rocks and minerals that come from the deep Earth. It aims to clarify the origin and circulation of the water that makes the Earth a planet of life.
*Illustrative imageWater Subducted into the Mantle
At plate subduction zones such as the Japanese archipelago, the lab investigates how much surface water is carried into the mantle and drawn into mantle convection, using noble gases and halogens as clues.
*Illustrative imageMeasuring Trace Amounts of Halogens
Mantle rocks (peridotite) contain only very small amounts of halogens, which conventional methods cannot measure accurately. The lab is working to put into practical use an analytical method based on nuclear transmutation, in which neutron irradiation converts one element into another.
*Illustrative imageOrigin of the Basalts of Patagonia
In collaboration with researchers at other institutions, the lab investigates the origin of the alkali basalts that erupted on a large scale in Patagonia, the back-arc region of the South American subduction zone. The lab is responsible for noble gas isotope analysis and K-Ar dating.
*Illustrative imageHelium Isotope Ratios around Volcanoes
The lab examines the distribution of helium isotope ratios in hot springs and spring water around volcanoes to find out how far the influence of helium released from magma extends and whether it can serve as an indicator of magmatic activity. The lab also continues international collaborative research at volcanoes overseas.
MembersFaculty
The Sumino Lab's members consist of faculty, project researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and academic specialist staff, and the lab also welcomes researchers who visit from Japan and abroad to carry out analyses.As of 2026
- ProfessorHirochika SuminoPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorYuki Hibiya
- Assistant ProfessorNanae Fukushima
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Octahedral diamond (Mir Kimberlite; Mirnyy, Siberia, Russia) )” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Water Subducted into the Mantle: “Serpentinite outcrop Kyuragi 01” Peka / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Measuring Trace Amounts of Halogens: “Peridotite mantle xenolith in basalt (near Mount Trumbull, Arizona, USA) ( )” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Origin of the Basalts of Patagonia: “Dique basáltico” Paleoninja / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Helium Isotope Ratios around Volcanoes: “Collecting Gas Sample at a Fumarole ( )” U.S. Geological Survey from Reston, VA, USA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (日比谷(由紀)研究室): “Carbonaceous chondrite (Allende Meteorite) ( Ga) 9” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (植田研究室): “Japan Foundation student trying Bunraku puppet” Leonardo Boiko / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (大泉研究室): “The Human Connectome” Andreashorn / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (小宮研究室): “Nuvvuagittuq belt rocks” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
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