Lillie Jaffe:

Graduate Student

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD

I have been fascinated by volcanoes since I was a kid...always dreaming of some day becoming a famous scientist who climbs to the top of destructive volcanoes, collecting critical samples that would change the world of science. At the age of 24, and in my second year as a PhD student at SIO, my ambitions have not changed. I have already completed a masters degree on the helium and carbon chemistry of a very distinct volcanic region in Indonesia called the Sangihe Arc, and I hope to apply some of the same analytical techniques on this field trip to the Marianas.

Dr. Hilton and I will be collecting gases, thermal fluids, and young lava samples that we will use to characterize the helium and carbon isotope variations along the entire Izu-Bonin-Mariana volcanic chain. We will use these measurements in conjunction with SO2 flux estimates made using our mini-DOAS system together with additional gas chemistry measurements from the UNM team (Tobias and Marteen) to constrain magma source characteristics and to estimate the volatile flux from the subducting slab and mantle wedge.

In addition to collecting samples, I will be tracking our team progress by taking pictures and film while we are out working in the field, and sending these images back home for everyone to see how challenging yet fun sampling these remote islands can be. It is an adventure we are all excited about.