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Dr George Cooper
(he/him)
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for George Cooper
Royal Society University Research Fellow
Overview
My research focuses on crystal specific studies (in particular, in-situ microanalytical approaches) to determine the conditions and magmatic processes operating in volcanic plumbing systems. I use a range of microanalytical techniques; SEM, Electron Microprobe (EPMA), Laser Ablation (LA-ICPMS), Ion Microprobe (SIMS), MicroMilling and isotopic analyses by TIMS and MC-ICPMS. I am currently working on the project 'Crystal-scale isotope constraints on crustal melt evolution (CSI:Subduction)'.
Publication
2025
- Cooper, G. F. et al. 2025. Crustal versus mantle-level aggregation of heterogeneous melts at mid-ocean ridges. Geology 53 (5), pp.430-434. (10.1130/g52872.1)
- Humphreys, M. C. S. et al., 2025. Crystal mush processes and crustal magmatism. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 6 , pp.401–416. (10.1038/s43017-025-00682-x)
2023
- Hicks, S. P. et al., 2023. Slab to back-arc to arc: Fluid and melt pathways through the mantle wedge beneath the Lesser Antilles. Science Advances 9 (5) eadd2143. (10.1126/sciadv.add2143)
2022
- Cooper, G. F. and Inglis, E. C. 2022. A crustal control on the Fe isotope systematics of volcanic arcs revealed in plutonic xenoliths from the Lesser Antilles. Frontiers in Earth Science 9 795858. (10.3389/feart.2021.795858)
2021
- Braszus, B. et al., 2021. Subduction history of the Caribbean from upper-mantle seismic imaging and plate reconstruction. Nature Communications 12 (1) 4211. (10.1038/s41467-021-24413-0)
- Brown, J. R. et al., 2021. Isotopic compositions of plagioclase from plutonic xenoliths reveal crustal assimilation below Martinique, Lesser Antilles Arc. Frontiers in Earth Science 9 682583. (10.3389/feart.2021.682583)
- Iveson, A. A. et al., 2021. Deciphering variable mantle sources and hydrous inputs to arc magmas in Kamchatka. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 562 116848. (10.1016/j.epsl.2021.116848)
- Schlaphorst, D. et al., 2021. Variation in upper plate crustal and lithospheric mantle structure in the Greater and Lesser Antilles from ambient noise tomography. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 22 (7) e2021GC009800. (10.1029/2021GC009800)
- Wilson, C. J. N. et al., 2021. No single model for supersized eruptions and their magma bodies. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (10.1038/s43017-021-00191-7)
2020
- Cooper, G. et al. 2020. Variable water input controls evolution of the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. Nature 582 (7813), pp.525-529. (10.1038/s41586-020-2407-5)
- Cooper, G. et al. 2020. Author Correction: Variable water input controls evolution of the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. Nature 584 (7822), pp.E36-E36. (10.1038/s41586-020-2582-4)
- Crameri, F. et al., 2020. A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation. Nature Communications 11 3750. (10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9)
- Davy, R. et al., 2020. Wide-angle seismic imaging of two modes of crustal accretion in mature atlantic ocean crust. JGR Solid Earth 125 (6) e2019JB019100. (10.1029/2019JB019100)
2019
- Cooper, G. et al. 2019. Evidence from plutonic xenoliths for magma differentiation, mixing and storage in a volatile-rich crystal mush beneath St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 174 (39)(10.1007/s00410-019-1576-4)
- Humphreys, M. C. S. et al., 2019. Identifying the ingredients of hydrous arc magmas: insights from Mt Lamington, Papua New Guinea. Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 377 (2139) 20180018. (10.1098/rsta.2018.0018)
- Humphreys, M. et al., 2019. Unravelling the complexity of magma plumbing at Mount St. Helens: a new trace element partitioning scheme for amphibole. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 174 (9)(10.1007/s00410-018-1543-5)
2017
- Cooper, G. F. , Morgan, D. J. and Wilson, C. J. N. 2017. Rapid assembly and rejuvenation of a large silicic magmatic system: Insights from mineral diffusive profiles in the Kidnappers and Rocky Hill deposits, New Zealand. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 473 , pp.1-13. (10.1016/j.epsl.2017.05.036)
- Zhang, J. et al., 2017. Magma mush chemistry at subduction zones, revealed by new melt major element inversion from calcic amphiboles. American Mineralogist 102 (6), pp.1353-1367. (10.2138/am-2017-5928)
2016
- Cooper, G. F. , Davidson, J. P. and Blundy, J. D. 2016. Plutonic xenoliths from Martinique, Lesser Antilles: evidence for open system processes and reactive melt flow in island arc crust. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 171 87. (10.1007/s00410-016-1299-8)
- Cooper, G. F. et al. 2016. Generation and rejuvenation of a supervolcanic magmatic system: a case study from Mangakino Volcanic Centre, New Zealand. Journal of Petrology 57 (6), pp.1135-1170. egw035. (10.1093/petrology/egw035)
2014
- Cooper, G. F. and Wilson, C. J. 2014. Development, mobilisation and eruption of a large crystal-rich rhyolite: the ongatiti ignimbrite, new zealand. Lithos 198-19 , pp.38-57. (10.1016/j.lithos.2014.03.014)
- Cooper, G. F. et al. 2014. Temporal evolution and compositional signatures of two supervolcanic systems recorded in zircons from mangakino volcanic centre, new zealand. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 167 (6) 1018. (10.1007/s00410-014-1018-2)
Articles
- Braszus, B. et al., 2021. Subduction history of the Caribbean from upper-mantle seismic imaging and plate reconstruction. Nature Communications 12 (1) 4211. (10.1038/s41467-021-24413-0)
- Brown, J. R. et al., 2021. Isotopic compositions of plagioclase from plutonic xenoliths reveal crustal assimilation below Martinique, Lesser Antilles Arc. Frontiers in Earth Science 9 682583. (10.3389/feart.2021.682583)
- Cooper, G. F. and Inglis, E. C. 2022. A crustal control on the Fe isotope systematics of volcanic arcs revealed in plutonic xenoliths from the Lesser Antilles. Frontiers in Earth Science 9 795858. (10.3389/feart.2021.795858)
- Cooper, G. et al. 2019. Evidence from plutonic xenoliths for magma differentiation, mixing and storage in a volatile-rich crystal mush beneath St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 174 (39)(10.1007/s00410-019-1576-4)
- Cooper, G. et al. 2020. Variable water input controls evolution of the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. Nature 582 (7813), pp.525-529. (10.1038/s41586-020-2407-5)
- Cooper, G. et al. 2020. Author Correction: Variable water input controls evolution of the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. Nature 584 (7822), pp.E36-E36. (10.1038/s41586-020-2582-4)
- Cooper, G. F. , Davidson, J. P. and Blundy, J. D. 2016. Plutonic xenoliths from Martinique, Lesser Antilles: evidence for open system processes and reactive melt flow in island arc crust. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 171 87. (10.1007/s00410-016-1299-8)
- Cooper, G. F. et al. 2025. Crustal versus mantle-level aggregation of heterogeneous melts at mid-ocean ridges. Geology 53 (5), pp.430-434. (10.1130/g52872.1)
- Cooper, G. F. , Morgan, D. J. and Wilson, C. J. N. 2017. Rapid assembly and rejuvenation of a large silicic magmatic system: Insights from mineral diffusive profiles in the Kidnappers and Rocky Hill deposits, New Zealand. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 473 , pp.1-13. (10.1016/j.epsl.2017.05.036)
- Cooper, G. F. et al. 2016. Generation and rejuvenation of a supervolcanic magmatic system: a case study from Mangakino Volcanic Centre, New Zealand. Journal of Petrology 57 (6), pp.1135-1170. egw035. (10.1093/petrology/egw035)
- Cooper, G. F. and Wilson, C. J. 2014. Development, mobilisation and eruption of a large crystal-rich rhyolite: the ongatiti ignimbrite, new zealand. Lithos 198-19 , pp.38-57. (10.1016/j.lithos.2014.03.014)
- Cooper, G. F. et al. 2014. Temporal evolution and compositional signatures of two supervolcanic systems recorded in zircons from mangakino volcanic centre, new zealand. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 167 (6) 1018. (10.1007/s00410-014-1018-2)
- Crameri, F. et al., 2020. A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation. Nature Communications 11 3750. (10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9)
- Davy, R. et al., 2020. Wide-angle seismic imaging of two modes of crustal accretion in mature atlantic ocean crust. JGR Solid Earth 125 (6) e2019JB019100. (10.1029/2019JB019100)
- Hicks, S. P. et al., 2023. Slab to back-arc to arc: Fluid and melt pathways through the mantle wedge beneath the Lesser Antilles. Science Advances 9 (5) eadd2143. (10.1126/sciadv.add2143)
- Humphreys, M. C. S. et al., 2019. Identifying the ingredients of hydrous arc magmas: insights from Mt Lamington, Papua New Guinea. Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 377 (2139) 20180018. (10.1098/rsta.2018.0018)
- Humphreys, M. C. S. et al., 2025. Crystal mush processes and crustal magmatism. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 6 , pp.401–416. (10.1038/s43017-025-00682-x)
- Humphreys, M. et al., 2019. Unravelling the complexity of magma plumbing at Mount St. Helens: a new trace element partitioning scheme for amphibole. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 174 (9)(10.1007/s00410-018-1543-5)
- Iveson, A. A. et al., 2021. Deciphering variable mantle sources and hydrous inputs to arc magmas in Kamchatka. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 562 116848. (10.1016/j.epsl.2021.116848)
- Schlaphorst, D. et al., 2021. Variation in upper plate crustal and lithospheric mantle structure in the Greater and Lesser Antilles from ambient noise tomography. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 22 (7) e2021GC009800. (10.1029/2021GC009800)
- Wilson, C. J. N. et al., 2021. No single model for supersized eruptions and their magma bodies. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (10.1038/s43017-021-00191-7)
- Zhang, J. et al., 2017. Magma mush chemistry at subduction zones, revealed by new melt major element inversion from calcic amphiboles. American Mineralogist 102 (6), pp.1353-1367. (10.2138/am-2017-5928)
Biography
- 2023-Present: Royal Society University Research Fellow. "Crystal-scale isotope constraints on crustal melt evolution (CSI:Subduction)"
- 2020-2023: NERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cardiff University, UK. "HiDe- A Highly Heterogeneous Depleted Mantle?' (PI: Dr. C.J. Lissenberg)
- 2016-2019: NERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Durham University/University of Bristol, UK. " Volatile Recycling at the Lesser Antilles Arc: Processes and Consequences (VoiLA)" (PI's: Prof. C. G. Macpherson & Prof. J. D. Blundy)
- 2013-2016: NERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Durham University, UK "How does crust form at arcs? - a Multidisciplinary Study of the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc" (PI: Prof. J. P. Davidson)
- 2009-2013: PhD in volcanology, SGEES, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ. Title : Insights into the dynamics of supervolcanoes from crystal specific studies: case studies from Mangakino volcano, New Zealand (Supervisors: Prof. C. J. N. Wilson, Prof. J. A. Baker).
- 2005-2009: Masters of Geology (MGeol), first class honours, University of Leeds, UK. Included a 1 year exchange program at Victoria University of Wellington
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Volcanology
- Igneous and metamorphic petrology
- Geochemistry