Claude Herzberg

Claude Herzberg is an American geochemist and petrologist affiliated with Rutgers University. His academic career there has focused on experimental petrology and the study of Earth's deep interior.

Herzberg is well known for his work on komatiites, which are ancient, high-temperature volcanic rocks that provide evidence about the thermal state of Earth's mantle in the Archean eon. He uses experimental petrology to reconstruct the conditions under which these rocks formed.

Herzberg's research on large igneous provinces examines the massive volcanic eruptions thought to be caused by mantle plumes rising from deep within the Earth. His work connects the geochemistry of these enormous lava deposits to the dynamics of plume formation and mantle convection.

Herzberg uses experimental petrology to simulate the high-pressure and high-temperature conditions of Earth's mantle in the laboratory. These experiments help determine the melting temperatures and mineral assemblages that govern how mantle plumes and large igneous provinces form.