Exploring Fluids Underground: Meet Emmanuel Codillo

Today, Codillo brings that passion to Stanford as a new assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, where his expertise in experimental petrology and geochemistry adds a rare dimension to the faculty.

Codillo began his academic path at the University of the Philippines, where he studied geology and later taught as an instructor. His curiosity about the chemistry of rocks led him to a Ph.D. in Geochemistry through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology–Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. There, he investigated how materials move between tectonic plates and the mantle, probing fundamental questions about magma formation in subduction zones. His research later expanded at the Carnegie Institution for Science, where he combined experimental petrology with stable isotope geochemistry and measurements of electrical properties of Earth materials under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions  — a pairing that opened new ways to understand arc magma formation and fluid movement inside the Earth.

To explain his work simply, Codillo says:

“I cook rocks in the lab to understand what happens deep inside the Earth.”

Using specialized high-pressure equipment—piston cylinders and multi-anvil presses—he recreates the intense conditions hundreds of kilometers below Earth’s surface. These “super-powered pressure cookers” allow him to simulate how magmas form, evolve, and sometimes erupt. The results help answer questions field studies cannot: What triggers eruptions? How do minerals grow in magma? What clues lie hidden about Earth’s deep water cycle?

Codillo’s research connects directly to pressing questions outlined by the National Academies’ CORES report and community initiatives like SZ4D (Subduction Zones in Four Dimensions), which seek to better understand—and perhaps one day predict—the hazards of subduction zones.

For Codillo, joining Stanford is not only about advancing research, but also about shaping the next generation of scientists.

“My philosophy is to be a guide by the side, not a sage on the stage,” he explains. “I want students to feel comfortable asking questions, to engage critically, and to find their own path as scientists.”

At Stanford, he plans to teach courses ranging from Earth materials and ore-forming processes to geochemistry, petrology, and thermodynamics, while also co-developing interdisciplinary classes linking deep-Earth processes to planetary habitability.

When he isn’t running experiments under crushing pressures and searing heat, Codillo enjoys cooking and visiting local coffee shops. His lab’s name, “Deep FRI” (Deep Fluid-Rock Interactions), reflects both his scientific focus and his culinary enthusiasm.

From the volcanic landscapes of the Philippines to cutting-edge experiments at Stanford, Emmanuel Codillo continues to follow the questions first sparked by his island home—expanding the field of experimental petrology while inspiring the next generation to explore Earth’s depths.