Dr. Nicolas Riel

Dr. Nicolas Riel

Post-doctoral Researcher

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About Me

My research lies at the intersection of phase equilibrium modeling, reactive fluid and magma transport, and 3-D geodynamic modeling.

Currently, my work focuses on three primary targets:

  • The development of MAGEMin, a thermodynamic equilibrium modeling set of tools tailored for geodynamic modeling coupling and systematic petrological applications.
  • The chemical evolution of the crust during magma and fluid transfer, investigated through structural analysis, thermodynamic modeling, geochemical data integration, and coupled thermo-mechanical simulations.
  • 2D and 3D geodynamic modeling of subduction initiation and associated mass and heat transfer processes, with implications for plate tectonics and lithospheric evolution.

MAGEMinApp

Teaching

Spring 2025

Geodynamic modeling with LaMEM - Heidelberg

Research

Recent Publications

  1. Riel, Nicolas, Duarte, Joao C, Almeida, Jaime, Kaus, Boris JP, Rosas, Filipe, Rojas-Agramonte, Yamirka, and Popov, Anton, “Subduction initiation triggered the Caribbean large igneous province,” Nature Communications, Vol. 14, No. 1, 2023, p. 786.  
  2. Duarte, Joao C, Riel, Nicolas, Rosas, Filipe M, Popov, Anton, Schuler, Christian, and Kaus, Boris JP, “Gibraltar subduction zone is invading the Atlantic,” Geology, 2024.  
  3. Markmann, Thorsten Andreas, Lanari, Pierre, Piccoli, Francesca, Pettke, Thomas, Tamblyn, Renee, Tedeschi, Mahyra, Lueder, Mona, Kunz, Barbara E, Riel, Nicolas, and Laughton, Joshua, “Multi-phase quantitative compositional mapping by LA-ICP-MS: Analytical approach and data reduction protocol implemented in XMapTools,” Chemical Geology, Vol. 646, 2024, p. 121895.  
  4. Dominguez, Hugo, Riel, Nicolas, and Lanari, Pierre, “Modelling chemical advection during magma ascent,” Geoscientific Model Development Discussions, Vol. 2024, 2024, pp. 1-30.  
  5. Schmitt, AK, Sliwinski, J, Caricchi, L, Bachmann, O, Riel, N, Kaus, BJP, de Leon, A Cisneros, Cornet, J, Friedrichs, B, Lovera, O, and others, “Zircon age spectra to quantify magma evolution,” Geosphere, Vol. 19, No. 4, 2023, pp. 1006-1031.  
  6. Weller, Owen M, Holland, Tim JB, Soderman, Caroline R, Green, Eleanor CR, Powell, Roger, Beard, Charles D, and Riel, Nicolas, “New thermodynamic models for anhydrous alkaline-silicate magmatic systems,” Journal of Petrology, 2024, egae098.  
  7. Carlos E. Ganade, Nicolas, Riel, Gianreto Manatschal, Lucas R. Tesser, Joerg Hermann, Daniela Rubatto, Roberto F. Weinberg, Pierre Lanari, and Boris J.P. Kaus, “Exhumation of ultra-high pressure (UHP) rocks modulated by rifted margin-subduction feedback: Implications for their preservation in old collisional orogens,” Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 643, 2024, p. 118893.  
  8. Kaus, Boris JP, Thielmann, Marcel, Aellig, Pascal, de Montserrat, Albert, de Siena, Luca, Frasukiewicz, Jacob, Fuchs, Lukas, Piccolo, Andrea, Ranocha, Hendrik, Riel, Nicolas, and others, “GeophysicalModelGenerator. jl: A Julia package to visualise geoscientific data and create numerical model setups,” Journal of Open Source Software, Vol. 9, No. 103, 2024, p. 6763.  
  9. Forshaw, Jacob B, Dominguez, Hugo, Markmann, Thorsten A, Tamblyn, Renee, Hermann, Jorg, Riel, Nicolas, and Lanari, Pierre, “Major-element geochemistry and Fe3+/$Sigma$Fe of metabasites,” Journal of Petrology, 2024, egae120.  
  10. Green, Eleanor C R, Holland, Tim J B, Powell, Roger, Weller, Owen M, and Riel, Nicolas, “Corrigendum to: Melting of Peridotites through to Granites: a Simple Thermodynamic Model in the System KNCFMASHTOCr, and, a Thermodynamic Model for the Subsolidus Evolution and Melting of Peridotite.,” Journal of Petrology, Vol. 66, No. 1, 01 2025, egae079.  
  11. Schuler, Christian, Kaus, Boris JP, Le Breton, Eline, Riel, Nicolas, and Popov, Anton A, “Mantle dynamics in the mediterranean and plate motion of the Adriatic microplate: Insights from 3D thermomechanical modeling,” Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2025, e2024GC011996.  
  12. Liu, Jia-Hui, Kaempf, Jonas, Huang, Meiyun, Riel, Nicolas, Guo, Jinghui, Huang, Guangyu, Chen, Lin, Jiao, Shujuan, Mao, Mengxia, Clark, Chris, and others, “Thermal structure of a Paleoproterozoic orogen: A case study from the Wutai–Fuping crustal section,” Journal of Petrology, Vol. 66, No. 5, 2025, egaf043.  
  13. Gomes, A. S., Rosas, F. M., Riel, N., Schellart, W. P., Almeida, J., and Duarte, J. C., “Numerical Geodynamic Modeling of Buoyancy-Driven Tethyan-type Ophiolite Emplacement,” Tectonics, Vol. 44, No. 8, 2025, e2024TC008625.  
  14. Soderman, Caroline R, Weller, Owen M, Beard, Charles D, Riel, Nicolas, Green, Eleanor CR, and Holland, Tim JB, “A mid-crustal tipping point between silica-undersaturated and silica-oversaturated magmas,” Nature Geoscience, 2025, pp. 1-8.  
  15. Duarte, Joao, Riel, Nicolas, Civiero, Chiara, Silva, Sonia, Rosas, Filipe M, Schellart, Wouter P, Almeida, Jaime, Terrinha, Pedro, and Ribeiro, Antonio, “Seismic evidence for oceanic plate delamination offshore Southwest Iberia,” Nature Geoscience, Aug 2025.  

Workshops

  • 2025d - Introduction to MAGEMin, Goldschmidt, Prague, Czech Republic
  • 2025c - Introduction to MAGEMin, IAVCEI, Geneva, Switzerland
  • 2025b - Introduction to MAGEMin, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2025a - Introduction to MAGEMin, Metamoprhic Study Group, Liverpool, UK.
  • 2024 - Introduction to MAGEMin, Granulite & Granulie conference, Verbania, Italy.

Academic Timeline

  • 2024-now Postdoctoral research associate, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. “Modelling of CHROMium Enrichment in the mantle and the crust (CHROME)”
  • 2023-2024 W2 fixed term professorship, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
  • 2018-2023 Postdoctoral research associate, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. “Melting And Geodynamic Models of Ascent (MAGMA)”
  • 2017-2018 Postdoctoral research associate, Univesity of Bergen, Norway. “COupling Lithosphere defORmation and Stratigraphy (COLORS)”
  • 2014-2016 Postdoctoral research associate, Durham University, UK. “Modelling the Archaean Subduction Environment”
  • 2013-2014 Postdoctoral research associate, Monash University, Australia. “2D and 3D Themodynamical modelling of subduction systems: implications for the Cenozoic evolution of the Andean system”
  • 2009 Visiting Student, CSIRO, Perth, Australia. “Modelling the effect of internal frictional angle on fault development during rifting”
  • 2008-2012 Ph.D, Earth Sciences, University of Grenoble, France. “Thermal anomaly and underplating in a forearc region: insights from the Triassic El Oro massif, Ecuador”
  • 2008: MSc Earth Sciences, University of Grenoble, France. “Pressure-Temperature-time characterisation of a newly discovered eclogitic unit in northern Pakistan”