ELMO: Experimental Laboratory Magma Ocean
ERC Starting Grant
ELMO – Investigating a crucial phase of planetary evolution
Experimental Planetology
Experimental Planetology explores how planets form, evolve, and develop their atmospheres. We recreate planetary processes in the laboratory to understand how volatile elements such as carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur, as well as volatile metals shape the interiors and atmospheres of rocky worlds. Our main research focus is the ERC Starting Grant project ELMO – Experimental Laboratory Magma Ocean, which investigates how the earliest, molten stages of planets—their magma oceans—gave rise to the atmospheres we observe today. By simulating these extreme conditions experimentally, we aim to build a direct link between a planet’s interior composition and its atmospheric chemistry. The results will help interpret observations of exoplanet atmospheres from space telescopes such as JWST and ESA’s Ariel, providing new insights into how Earth-like planets form and evolve.
Laboratory experiments and space missions
Beyond the ELMO project, our group studies planetary processes across the Solar System, combining experiments, thermodynamic modelling, and spectroscopic techniques. We investigate how surface and interior processes shape bodies such as the Moon, Mercury, and Venus, and connect our laboratory findings to data from space missions like ESA’s BepiColombo. Our work bridges laboratory experiments with planetary exploration and astronomical observations—bringing us closer to understanding the origins, evolution, and habitability of rocky planets.
