Unlocking magmatic secrets: PhD student Angela Castro’s geological expedition to Aruba

In July 2026, PhD student Angela Castro completed a successful geological fieldwork campaign in Aruba. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary international team, including Michiel van der Meulen (Chief Geologist at the Geological Survey of the Netherlands), as well as professors from the University of Patras and Utrecht University, the expedition focused on mapping and sampling the island's unique geology.

The team investigated the contacts between different magmatic units, successfully collecting targeted samples from both the Aruba Lava Formation and the Aruba Batholith. These samples and observations will be key to reconstructing the evolution of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province. As a next step, Angela will conduct detailed geochemical and geochronological analyses on the recovered samples at Heidelberg University, integrating these findings as a core component of her doctoral research.