People

Reika YokochiResearch Professor

Research Focus:
Planetary science, noble gas geochemistry, hydrology
Email:
yokochi@uchicago.edu
Office:
Hinds 533

Research Interests

Studies of stable noble gases in Earth's crust, mantle and potential precursors have provided constraints on broad range of subjects, such as planetary evolution, fluid migration in the crust, tectonic activity, and paleoclimate. Naturally occurring radioactive noble gases (39Ar, 81Kr and 85Kr) are also fascinating new geochemical tracers. Using both stable and radioactive noble gases, I am exploring new and interdisciplinary fields of noble gas geochemistry. Ongoing projects include:

(i) determination of crustal fluid migration rates using radioactive noble gases,

(ii) investigation of gas trapping efficiencies in water ice under conditions relevant to comet formation, and

(iii) search for new noble gas paleotemperature proxies in crustal minerals.

Selected Publications

  • R. Yokochi, N.C. Sturchio, R. Purtschert, W. Jiang, G.-M. Yang, P. Mueller, Z.-T. Lu, and B.M. Kennedy (2013) Noble Gas Radionuclides in Yellowstone Geothermal Gas Emissions: A Reconnaissance. Chemical Geology, 339, 43-51.
  • R. Yokochi, N. Sturchio, R. Purtschert (2012). Determination of crustal fluid residence times using nucleogenic 39Ar. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 88, 19-26.
  • R. Yokochi, U. Marboeuf, E. Quirico & B. Schmitt (2012). Pressure dependent trace gas trapping in amorphous water ice at 77K: Implications for determining conditions of comet formation. Icarus, 218 (2), 760-770.