Pilar Madrigal

is a postdoctoral researcher working on the PRE-Collapse Project as an igneous geologist and geochemist. She is currently processing and analyzing dredged samples retrieved during the Meteor Cruise M198 expedition. These samples, collected from the submarine slopes offshore of the Etna volcano, consist of lavas and volcaniclastic rocks. Determining their ages and compositions is crucial for understanding the tectonic and magmatic processes involved in their formation.

The texture and composition of these igneous samples are a key focus of the PRE-Collapse Project, as they provide insights into the composition and age of the geological units that form the eastern flank of the Etna volcano. This research also contributes to a broader understanding of Etna’s overall tectono-magmatic evolution. 

Pilar’s research interests center on understanding Earth’s mantle processes and their influence on surface volcanism. Her expertise includes topics such as melt generation and transport, the origin and geochemical evolution of mantle heterogeneities, subduction processes, serpentinization, and intraplate magmatism.

In her previous project, ISOSEA, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the European Commission, she investigated the geochemistry of isolated seamounts on the Pacific Plate, using them as windows into the geochemical heterogeneities of Earth’s upper mantle. 

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Research Interests

  • Geochemistry and Petrology of ophiolites

  • Petrogenesis of non-hotspot seamounts

  • Mid-Ocean Ridge magmatism

  • Intraplate magmatism: geochemistry and geochronology of hotspots and oceanic island basalts (OIBs)

  • Petrogenesis of Large Igneous Provinces

  • Plume-Ridge Interaction

Contact:

RD4 Dynamics of the Ocean Floor - Marine Geodynamics

phone: +49 431 600-2650

email: pmadrigalquesada@geomar.d

room: Room: 224, building 12

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Wischhofstr. 1-3
24148 Kiel
Germany

https://www.geomar.de/pmadrigalquesada

CV

Dr. Pilar Madrigal Quesada

Higher Education

2012-2016                       

Ph.D. in Geosciences, Department of Geosciences.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

                                      

2006-2011                     

Bachelor of Geology.

University of Costa Rica, Central American School of Geology.

                                           

Professional and Academic experience

Fall 2023 – Present         

Marie Skłodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Horizon Europe. Project No. 101065667 – ISOSEA at GEOMAR.

Fall 2016 – Fall 2023      

Associate Professor and Researcher at the Central American School of Geology of the University of Costa Rica.

Research projects

Spring 2023 -2025          

Horizon Europe. Project No. 101065667 – ISOSEA: “Isolated Seamounts as Windows into Upper Mantle Geochemical Heterogeneity”

Spring 2021- 2022          

Principal Investigator. Project No. 113-C1-149: “Basaltic intrusions from the Santa Elena Ophiolite: a window into mantle geochemical processes.”

Spring 2019 - 2022         

Principal Investigator. Project No. 816-B9-195: “Use of Raman Spectroscopy for fluid inclusion analyses in volcanic materials”. Registered to CICIMA, University of Costa Rica.

Spring 2017 - 2022         

Principal Investigator. Project No. 113-B8-141: “Arc to intraplate magmatic transition: the geochemical evolution of the mantle beneath the Costa Rican back-arc”. Registered to RSN, University of Costa Rica.                                   

Principal Investigator. Project No. 830-B8-065: “Sedimentological and geochemical analysis of the Suretka Formation: the remnants of the Miocene magmatic arc of Costa Rica”. Registered to CICG, University of Costa Rica.

Research Expeditions

RV SONNE SO307: Thermal versus compositional causes of bathymetric highs: The Madagascar Ridge, MADAGASCAR (12.09.2024 - 28.10.2024).  Durban (Südafrika) - Durban (Südafrika)

 

Publications

  • Madrigal, P., Hoernle, K., Jicha, B.R., Timm, C., Garbe-Schönberg, D., Sager, W.W., Hauff, F., Portnyagin, M., Yogodzinski, G. (2025). Early Emperor seamount evolution and geotectonics of the northwestern Pacific plate. Geology. https://doi.org/10.1130/G53477.1

  • Jenniskens, P., Soto, G.J., Goncalves Silva, G., Lücke, O., Madrigal, P., Ballestero, T., Salas Matamoros, C., Ruiz Cubillo, P., Cardozo Mourao, D., Cabo Winter, O., Sfair, R., Tillier, C.E., Albers, J., Garvie, L.A.J., Ziegler, K., Yin, Q.-Z., Sanborn, M.E., Busemann, H., Riebe, M.E.I., Welten, K.C., Caffee, M.W., Laubenstein, M., Robertson, D.K. and Nesvorny, D. (2025), Orbit, meteoroid size, and cosmic ray exposure history of the Aguas Zarcas CM2 breccia. Meteorit Planet Sci. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14337

  • Guadamuz, D. A., Obando-Acuña, L. G., Murillo-Maikut, S. & Madrigal, P. (2023). Calidad cerámica de los suelos en la zona Chorotega, Santa Cruz y Nicoya, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Revista Geológica de América Central 68, 1–20.

  • Solano, J.P., Aguilar, A.T., Madrigal, P., Pérez, W., Vargas, C.A., Chavarría, M.M., & Denyer, P. (2021). Geological background and structure of the northwestern coastline of Costa Rica. Revista De Biología Tropical, 69 (Suppl.2), S36-S59.

  • Soto G. J., Madrigal P., Lücke O., Garvie L., Ziegler K. Aguas Zarcas. In: Gattacceca J., McCubbin F. M., Bouvier A., Grossman J. N. (2020). Meteoritical Bulletin 108. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 55: 1146–1150.

  • Lücke, O.H., Madrigal, P., Soto, G. (2019). The Aguas Zarcas carbonaceous chondrite: bolide, fall and recovery of an extraordinary CM2 type meteorite. Revista Geológica de América Central (61), 9-22.

  • Madrigal P., Gazel, E., & Denyer, P. (2019). Capítulo II: Petrogénesis Ignea del Basamento. En: Perspectiva geológica del Noroeste de Costa Rica. Editor: Percy Denyer. Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica, 347 páginas.

  • DeVitre, C. L., Gazel, E., Allison, C. M., Soto, G., Madrigal, P., Alvarado, G. E., & Lücke, O. H. (2019). Multi-stage chaotic magma mixing at Turrialba volcano. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 381, 330-346.

  • Solano, J. P., Denyer, P., Pérez, W., Lücke, O. H., & Madrigal, P. (2019). Formación Bagaces: caracterización de sus unidades para la identificación de depósitos y litofacies. Revista Geológica de América Central (60), 7-39

  • Madrigal, P., Lücke, O.H. (2017). Petrographic analysis of the volcanic bombs and blocks from Poás Volcano: April-June 2017 eruptive period. Revista Geológica de América Central, 149-159.

  • Madrigal, P., Gazel, E., Flores, K.E., Bizimis, M., Jicha, B. (2016). Record of massive upwellings from the Pacific large low shear velocity province. Nature Communications 7, 13309.

  • Madrigal, P., Gazel, E., Denyer, P., Smith, I., Jicha, B., Flores, K., Coleman, D., Snow, J., (2015). A melt-focusing zone in the lithospheric mantle preserved in the Santa Elena Ophiolite, Costa Rica. Lithos 230, 189-205.

  • Schwarzenbach, E., Gill, B., Gazel, E., Madrigal, P., (2016.). Sulfur and carbon geochemistry of a continental site of serpentinization: Comparing hydrothermal and surficial processes during peridotite alteration. Lithos 252–253, 92-108.

  • Conference Abstracts:

  • Madrigal, P., Hoernle, K., Hauff, F., Frick, D. Geochemical and morphological aspects of the Mid-Pacific Mountains: insights into Pacific Plate Evolution. Poster presentation AGU Fall Meeting 2024, Washington, DC.

  • Madrigal, P., Hoernle, K., Jicha, B. R., Portnyagin, M., Hauff, F., Yogodzinski, G. & Werner, R. Filling the Gap: Age and Geochemical Evolution of the Early Emperor Seamount Chain. Poster presentation AGU Fall Meeting 2023, San Francisco, CA.

  • Madrigal P., Lücke, O.H., Guerrero, R., Avendaño-Soto, E. Raman Spectroscopy applied to the study of Earth materials. Oral presentation, 5th Geological Congress of the University of Costa Rica, 2021

  • Madrigal P., Lücke, O.H., Soto, G.J. The Aguas Zarcas carbonaceous chondrite: fall and recovery of an extraordinary CM2 type meteorite. Oral presentation, 3rd Geological Congress of the University of Costa Rica, 2019.

  • Madrigal P., Gazel E., Flores, K., Jicha, B., Bizimis, M. Plume-Ridge Interaction during Large-Igneous Province formation. Oral presentation, AGU Fall Meeting 2018, Washington DC.

  • Madrigal P., Gazel, E. The isotopic record from monogenetic seamounts: Insights into recycling time scales in the Upper Mantle. Poster presentation, AGU Fall Meeting 2017, New Orleans, LA.

  • Lücke, O., Madrigal, P. Morphological and petrographic analysis of the volcanic products (ashes, bombs and blocks) from Poás Volcano: April-June 2017 eruptive period. Poster presentation, AGU Fall Meeting 2017, New Orleans, LA.

  • Madrigal P., Gazel E., Flores, K., Jicha, B., Bizimis, M. A complete record of the Pacific LLSVP upwellings in the Cretaceous. Poster presentation, CIDER Summer Program 2016, Santa Barbara, CA.

  • Madrigal P., Gazel E., Flores, K., Jicha, B., Bizimis, M. A complete record of the Pacific LLSVP upwellings in the Cretaceous. Poster presentation, CIDER Summer Program 2016, Santa Barbara, CA.

  • Madrigal P., Gazel E., Flores, K., Jicha, B., Bizimis, M. Record of the Pacific LLSVP upwellings preserved in the Cretaceous Large Igneous Provinces. Poster presentation, AGU Fall Meeting 2015, San Francisco, CA.