Mantle melting and Earth's thermal history
Using peridotite chemistry and thermodynamic modeling to reconstruct secular changes in mantle potential temperature.
Rice University · Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Jia-Le Mou
My research sits at the intersection of geochemistry, petrology, and geodynamics. By coupling geochemical datasets with physical modeling, I investigate the co-evolution of Earth's thermal state and mantle-lithosphere interaction over geological time.
I am currently seeking postdoctoral positions in geochemistry and
geodynamics, with a focus on magmatic processes, mantle dynamics, and
crustal evolution. Please contact me at
moujiale@rice.edu.
Focus Areas
Research
Crustal heating and radioactive elements
Studying how crustal thickness and magmatic differentiation redistribute U, Th, and K through continental crust.
Two-phase flow in crystal-rich mushes
Modeling sulfide migration to understand how ore-forming liquids are focused and transported in magmatic systems.
Selected Work
Publications
Calibrating olivine forsterite content as a measure of melting degree in residual peridotites
Mou, J.-L., Lee, C.-T., & Borchardt, J. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2025. DOI
A step change in Earth's thermal history driven by the onset of plate tectonics
Mou, J.-L. & Lee, C.-T. Under review.
Crustal thickness effects on heat-producing elements and craton stability
Mou, J.-L., Lee, C.-T., & Zhang, J. Manuscript in preparation.
Extreme magmatic differentiation and silicic magmatism without low melt fractions
Lee, C.-T., Zhang, J., Keller, D., Zhang, Y., Ji, D., Mou, J.-L Lithos, 2026. DOI
Layered mafic intrusions, magmatic turbidites, and the making of platinum ores
Lee, C.-T., Zhang, Y., Namur, O., Mou, J.-L., Bakhshian, S., Keller, D., Sun, C. Under review.
Education
Training
Ph.D. in Geology
Rice University, 2026 expected
B.S. in Geochemistry
University of Science and Technology of China, 2022