Research Foci
Observational Geodynamics
I am interested in upper mantle processes, in particular the melting of mantle rocks. My research focuses on reconstructing the depth and temperature of melt generation from the chemical composition of mafic volcanic rocks. I combine igneous geochemistry with thermodynamics, seismology, and geodynamics. In modern intraplate volcanic provinces, such as the western US and northeast Brazil, I use these multidisciplinary constraints to quantify dynamic topography and the interplay between lithospheric thickness and elevated mantle potential temperatures. Since mafic volcanic rocks have been preserved throughout Earth history, magmatic compositions from different ages can be used to assess lithospheric evolution, and its potential links to continent stability and ore formation, through time and space. My current DFG-funded project focuses on the ca. 500 - 3,000 Ma old volcanic record of Australia to unravel the spatio-temporal evolution of cratonic margins, utilising a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach that synthesises geophysical, geodynamical, geochemical and geological constraints. I am integrating geochemical modelling of volcanic compositions, including new geochemical and isotopic constraints, geological and geophysical data as well as targeted geodynamical simulations to obtain quantitative estimates of upper mantle structure, such as temperature and plate thickness, throughout Australia's geological history.
Numerical Modelling of Mantle Geochemistry
A fundamental tool in my research approach is the numerical modelling of geochemical compositions during mantle melting. I use both deterministic and probabilistic forward and inverse modelling approaches to characterise trace element partitioning, diffusion and melt aggregation. Following rigorous data screening to select only the most primitive, mantle-derived samples (i.e. avoiding major crustal or metasomatic contamination) and correcting for crystal fractionation, melt compositions in combination with thermodynamics and/or solidus-liquidus parametrisations can be used to solve for the temperature and pressure of melting generation, as well as source composition. These physical parameters are the basis for quantitatively combining geochemical and geophysical observations, and are important constraints for geodynamical simulations of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system.
Data Management in Geochemistry
I am passionate about Open Science, and FAIR data in particular. Both as a user of regional/global geochemical compilation datasets and as former manager of the GEOROC database (https://georoc.eu), my main interests lie in data aggregation and synthesis from diverse sources. One aspect of this work is the development of community standards and machine actionable vocabularies. I am further interested in data publication and the coordination of the publication workflow between researchers, publishers and domain repositories. I am an active member of the OneGeochemistry initiative for FAIR geochemical data (http://onegeochemistry.org) and lead copyeditor of the new diamond Open Access journal Advances in Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry (https://journals.uu.se/AGC).
CV
Academic Education
- PhD Earth Sciences, Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge, UK
- MSci Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK
Positions
- Independent Research Associate, University of Münster, Germany
- Research Associate, University of Göttingen, Germany
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Australian National University, Australia
- DAAD Postdoctoral Scholar, Macquarie University, Australia
Publications
Selection
- Klöcking, Marthe, Kerstin, Lehnert A., and Wyborn, Lesley. . “Geochemical databases.” in Treatise on Geochemistry, edited by A. Anbar and D. Weis. Göttingen: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-323-99762-1.00123-6.
- Klöcking, Marthe, Wyborn, Lesley, Lehnert, Kerstin A., Ware, Bryant, Prent, Alexander M., Profeta, Lucia, Kohlmann, Fabian, Noble, Wayne, Bruno, Ian, Lambart, Sarah, Ananuer, Halimulati, Barber, Nicholas D., Becker, Harry, Brodbeck, Maurice, Deng, Hang, Deng, Kai, Elger, Kirsten, Franco, Gabriel de Souza, Gao, Yajie, Ghasera, Khalid Mohammed, Hezel, Dominik C., Huang, Jingyi, Kerswell, Buchanan, Koch, Hilde, Lanati, Anthony W., ter Maat, Geertje, Martínez-Villegas, Nadia, Nana Yobo, Lucien, Redaa, Ahmad, Schäfer, Wiebke, Swing, Megan R., Taylor, Richard J.M., Traun, Marie Katrine, Whelan, Jo, and Zhou, Tengfei. . “Community recommendations for geochemical data, services and analytical capabilities in the 21st century.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 351: 192–205. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2023.04.024.
- Oliveira, B, Afonso, J, and Klöcking, M. . “Melting conditions and mantle source composition from probabilistic joint inversion of major and rare earth element concentrations.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 315: 251–275. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2021.09.008.
- Klöcking, M., Hoggard, M.J., Rodríguez Tribaldos, V., Richards, F.D., Guimarães, A.R., Maclennan, J., and White, N.J. . “A tale of two domes: Neogene to recent volcanism and dynamic uplift of northeast Brazil and southwest Africa.” Earth and Planetary Science Letters 547 116464. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116464.
- Goes, S., Hasterok, D., Schutt, D.L., and Klöcking, M. . “Continental lithospheric temperatures: A review.” Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 306 106509. doi: 10.1016/j.pepi.2020.106509.
- Klöcking, M, White, NJ, Maclennan, J, McKenzie, D, and Fitton, JG. . “Quantitative Relationships Between Basalt Geochemistry, Shear Wave Velocity, and Asthenospheric Temperature Beneath Western North America.” Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 19: 3376–3404. doi: 10.1029/2018GC007559.
Complete List
- Pourret, Olivier, Millet, Marc-Alban, Marin-Carbonne, Johanna, Mallik, Ananya, Tierney, Jessica, Darling, James, Kiseeva, Kate, Torres, Mark, Fonseca, Raúl C. O., Tartèse, Romain, Namur, Olivier, Klöcking, Marthe, Matthews, Simon, Dahrén, Börje, Ickert, Ryan, and board, the inaugural AGC editorial. . “Equitable Access, Open Science, and the Future of Publishing in Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry.” Advances in Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry 1 (1) 770. doi: 10.33063/agc.v1i1.770.
- Klöcking, Marthe, Kerstin, Lehnert A., and Wyborn, Lesley. . “Geochemical databases.” in Treatise on Geochemistry, edited by A. Anbar and D. Weis. Göttingen: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-323-99762-1.00123-6.
- Macêdo, Filho A, Oliveira, A, Klöcking, M, Janasi, V, Archanjo, C, and Lino, L. . “Petrology of Cenomanian basalts on the Brazilian equatorial margin: Implications for the tectonomagmatic evolution of the drift phase.” Geochemistry 85 (1) 126248. doi: 10.1016/j.chemer.2025.126248.
- Prent, Alexander M., Hezel, Dominik C., Klöcking, Marthe, Wyborn, Lesley, Farrington, Rebecca, Elger, Kirsten, Profeta, Lucia, Nixon, Angus L., and Lehnert, Kerstin. . “Innovating and Networking Global Geochemical Data Resources Through OneGeochemistry.” Elements 19 (3): 136–137. doi: 10.2138/gselements.19.3.136.
- Klöcking, Marthe, Wyborn, Lesley, Lehnert, Kerstin A., Ware, Bryant, Prent, Alexander M., Profeta, Lucia, Kohlmann, Fabian, Noble, Wayne, Bruno, Ian, Lambart, Sarah, Ananuer, Halimulati, Barber, Nicholas D., Becker, Harry, Brodbeck, Maurice, Deng, Hang, Deng, Kai, Elger, Kirsten, Franco, Gabriel de Souza, Gao, Yajie, Ghasera, Khalid Mohammed, Hezel, Dominik C., Huang, Jingyi, Kerswell, Buchanan, Koch, Hilde, Lanati, Anthony W., ter Maat, Geertje, Martínez-Villegas, Nadia, Nana Yobo, Lucien, Redaa, Ahmad, Schäfer, Wiebke, Swing, Megan R., Taylor, Richard J.M., Traun, Marie Katrine, Whelan, Jo, and Zhou, Tengfei. . “Community recommendations for geochemical data, services and analytical capabilities in the 21st century.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 351: 192–205. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2023.04.024.
- Oliveira, B, Afonso, JC, and Klöcking, M. . Software from "Melting conditions and mantle source composition from probabilistic joint inversion of major and rare earth element concentrations" Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/ZENODO.5163011.
- Klöcking, Marthe, and Guimarães, André. . Major and trace element analyses of volcanic rocks from the Borborema Province and Fernando de Noronha, Brazil doi: 10.26022/ieda/111599.
- Stephenson, SN, White, NJ, Carter, A, Seward, D, Ball, PW, and Klöcking, M. . “Cenozoic Dynamic Topography of Madagascar.” Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 22. doi: 10.1029/2020GC009624.
- Oliveira, B, Afonso, J, and Klöcking, M. . “Melting conditions and mantle source composition from probabilistic joint inversion of major and rare earth element concentrations.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 315: 251–275. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2021.09.008.
- Ball, PW, Czarnota, K, White, NJ, Klöcking, M, and Davies, DR. . “Thermal Structure of Eastern Australia's Upper Mantle and Its Relationship to Cenozoic Volcanic Activity and Dynamic Topography.” Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 22. doi: 10.1029/2021GC009717.
- Klöcking, M., Hoggard, M.J., Rodríguez Tribaldos, V., Richards, F.D., Guimarães, A.R., Maclennan, J., and White, N.J. . “A tale of two domes: Neogene to recent volcanism and dynamic uplift of northeast Brazil and southwest Africa.” Earth and Planetary Science Letters 547 116464. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116464.
- Goes, S., Hasterok, D., Schutt, D.L., and Klöcking, M. . “Continental lithospheric temperatures: A review.” Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 306 106509. doi: 10.1016/j.pepi.2020.106509.
- Klöcking, M., Czarnota, K., Champion, D.C., Jaques, A.L., and Davies, D.R. . “Spatio-temporal evolution of Australian lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary from mafic volcanism.” in Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, edited by K. Czarnota, I. Roach, S. Abbott, M. Haynes, N. Kositcin, A. Ray and E. Slatter. Canberra: Geoscience Australia. doi: 10.11636/135075.
- Klöcking, Marthe, Maclennan, John, White, Nicky, and Fitton, Godfrey. . Whole rock analyses of mafic volcanic samples from western North America and from Parnaíba Basin, Brazil doi: 10.1594/ieda/111229.
- Klöcking, M, White, NJ, Maclennan, J, McKenzie, D, and Fitton, JG. . “Quantitative Relationships Between Basalt Geochemistry, Shear Wave Velocity, and Asthenospheric Temperature Beneath Western North America.” Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 19: 3376–3404. doi: 10.1029/2018GC007559.
- Klöcking, Marthe, White, Nicky, and Maclennan, John. . “Role of basaltic magmatism within the Parnaíba cratonic basin, NE Brazil.” in Cratonic Basin Formation: A Case Study of the Parnaíba Basin of Brazil; Geological Society, London, Special Publications, edited by M.C. Daly, R.A. Fuck, J. Julia, D.I. M. Macdonald and A.B. Watts. London: Geological Society of London. doi: 10.1144/SP472.4.
- Klöcking, M., Mills, L., Mortensen, J., and Roots, C. . “Geology of mid-Cretaceous volcanic rocks at Mount Nansen, central Yukon, and their relationship to the Dawson Range batholith.” Open File № 2016-25. Whitehorse: Yukon Geological Survey.
- Humphreys, M, Edmonds, M, and Klöcking, M. . “The validity of plagioclase-melt geothermometry for degassing-driven magma crystallization.” American Mineralogist 101: 769–779. doi: 10.2138/am-2016-5314.
Dr. Marthe Klöcking
Professur für Geochemie (Prof. Stracke)
