Jenny Collier

Professor Jenny Collier is a Professor of Marine Geophysics at Imperial College London's Department of Earth Science & Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering. She holds affiliations with the Dynamic Earth research group, Earth Observation Network, Earth and Planets, Geodynamics: Core to Surface, Hazards, and Marine and Coastal Environments. Her research focuses on mantle plumes, continental breakup, subduction zone processes, and the solid Earth water cycle, with notable contributions to understanding volcanic margin formation and catastrophic megaflood events in the English Channel. Collier has led expeditions using seismic imaging, sidescan sonar, and multibeam bathymetry to investigate oceanic crust structure and tectonic evolution.

Education:

• PhD in Geophysics, University of Cambridge (1986-89)
• MSc in Geology, University of Durham (1985-86)

Research Interests:

Collier's work integrates geophysical field data and numerical modeling to study continental rifting, magmatism at volcanic margins, and fluid dynamics in subduction zones. Key projects include the VOILA initiative examining volatile recycling in the Lesser Antilles and the English Channel megaflood hypothesis. She investigates seaward-dipping reflectors, crustal accretion mechanisms, and the role of mantle plumes in continental breakup.

Advising & Grants:

Supervises PhD students and postdocs through grants from UK research councils. Recent projects include NERC-funded studies on South Atlantic magmatism and Imperial College studentships exploring marine geophysics. She advises on competitive fellowship applications and has secured funding for ocean-bottom seismometer deployments in the Caribbean.

Labs & Teams:

Core member of the Geodynamics: Core to Surface research group at Imperial. Collaborates with institutions like ION-GXT (South Atlantic studies) and NAG-TEC (North Atlantic research). Active in the Earth Observation Network and Grantham Institute for climate-related geohazards.