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Petrology and Volcanology Lab
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A research group that traces volcanic eruptions and the dynamics of the Earth through magma and rocks.
AboutAbout the lab
Reading the story of eruptions in the records left in rocks.
The Petrology and Volcanology research group studies phenomena related to magma and plate movements using materials science methods.
Its research centers on fieldwork in Japan and overseas, magma synthesis experiments, and the analysis and chemical analysis of rock and experimental samples.
The group also uses many new methods, including ultra-high-spatial-resolution analysis of rock microstructure, ultra-high-precision chemical analysis, and numerical simulation.
The group has two subgroups, Volcano and Orogenic Belt, and covers a wide range of fields, from igneous petrology to metamorphic petrology, geochemistry, structural geology, and geochronology.
Key terms
- Magma
- Hot liquid formed when rock melts underground. When it reaches the surface, it is called lava.
- Ophiolite
- A piece of ancient oceanic lithosphere that has been thrust up onto land. It allows rocks formed on the seafloor to be studied on land.
- Metamorphic rock
- Rock that has been changed into a different form by heat and pressure deep underground.
NewsLab news
Research results of Assistant Professor Mujin released in a press release
A master's student wins the Best Presentation Award at the final master's thesis presentation session
Master's and doctoral students win Student Outstanding Presentation Awards at the 2025 Kumamoto Meeting of the Geological Society of Japan
The Petrology and Volcanology Lab and the Geotectonics Lab merge to launch as a new research group
ResearchResearch themes
Using materials science methods such as fieldwork in Japan and overseas, magma synthesis experiments, and the analysis and chemical analysis of rock and experimental samples, the lab aims to elucidate phenomena related to magma and tectonics. Research is carried out in two subgroups: Volcano and Orogenic Belt.
*Illustrative imageThe Mystery of Supereruptions
Earth has repeatedly experienced eruptions large enough to destroy a nation or threaten the survival of humankind. By carefully reading the traces recorded in strata and rocks, the lab clarifies the processes that led to these eruptions and how they unfolded.
*Illustrative imageMaterials Science of Eruption Phenomena
The lab investigates why volcanoes erupt and what happens inside magma. Close observation and analysis of erupted products make it possible to infer subsurface conditions from small crystals and bubbles, and by building up rigorous logic, the lab unravels the mechanisms of eruptions.
*Illustrative imageOphiolite Research
The lab analyzes igneous and metamorphic rocks from the present-day ocean floor and from ophiolites, which are ancient oceanic lithosphere exposed on land. It aims to clarify how magma and hydrothermal fluids move and interact within the oceanic lithosphere.
*Illustrative imageCollision Zone Tectonics
When continents or island arcs collide, sedimentary and igneous rocks near the surface are carried deep underground and become metamorphic rocks. By analyzing these metamorphic rocks, the lab reconstructs the three-dimensional motion of past collisions and reads what was happening beneath collision zones.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Petrology and Volcanology research group are faculty, doctoral and master's students, and undergraduates.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakeshi Kuritani
- Associate ProfessorShumpei Yoshimura
- Assistant ProfessorMayumi Mujin
- Assistant ProfessorMari Piton
- Assistant ProfessorIppei Kitano
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Geochemistry LabFaculty of Science, Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesCosmochemistry (isotope geochemistry)The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Sarychev Volcano edit” Sarychev_Volcano.jpg: NASA derivative work: Avenue (talk) / Public domain (cropped)
- The Mystery of Supereruptions: “130922 Lake Toya Toyako Hokkaido Japan03s3” 663highland / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Materials Science of Eruption Phenomena: “Biotite on Pumice - Mendig, Eifel, Germany1” Ra'ike (see also: de:Benutzer:Ra'ike) / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Ophiolite Research: “Bands of glowing magma from submarine volcano” NOAA/National Science Foundation / Public domain (cropped)
- Collision Zone Tectonics: “Subisoclinal fold in gneiss (Archean; Norris South roadcut, Madison County, Montana, USA) )” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (火山
活動研究分野): “Mount Usu from Shōwa-shinzan ( )” Hiroshi Nakai / CC BY 2.0 (cropped) - Related lab (地震観測研究分野): “Seismogram at Weston Observatory” Z22 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (地球惑星物質学研究グループ): “Calcite-20188” Robert M. Lavinsky / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (地球化学研究グループ): “Allende meteorite, carbonaceous chondrite ( )” James St. John / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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