Chris Yakymchuk

Chris Yakymchuk is an associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and a University Research Chair who studies how mountain chains form and evolve through plate tectonics and the deep-time processes that shape Earth’s continents.

His research focuses on petrology and crustal evolution, specifically what happens when rocks in the continental crust are heated to the point of partial melting and how this is manifested in the rock and mineral record. Yakymchuk’s work spans across geological time in Canada and around the world. His research also provides insight into how economically important critical minerals that are the building blocks of modern technologies such as graphite and rare earth elements are localized in ancient rocks, and how various geological processes combine to concentrate base and precious metals (like gold) in Ontario. Yakymchuk also combines his geological expertise with cross-disciplinary studies that link the Earth sciences with other natural and social science disciplines, including prospecting for white hydrogen and evaluating environmental contamination through biominerals. He is the recipient of several national and international research awards and an award-winning instructor of Earth Sciences.

Yakymchuk’s research reveals how Earth has evolved over billions of years while identifying critical minerals that are essential building blocks for modern technologies. His research contributes to locating and developing these resources responsibly, ensuring a sustainable supply of the critical minerals needed for technologies ranging from cell phones and laptops to green energy generation and the technologies of the future. He also trains the next generation of geoscientists to utilize Earth’s resources sustainably.

• Metamorphic petrology, structural geology and plate tectonics to understand the evolution of the Earth's continental crust

• Geochronology - the use of stable and radioactive isotopes to date rock formations

• Orogenesis - the process of mountain formation

• Renewable energy and natural hydrogen

• Critical minerals

• Next generation batteries

• Carbon dioxide capture and storage

• Climate change and geosciences

• 2014, PhD Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States

• 2010, MSc Geological Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

• 2008, BSc Earth Sciences, Honours, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

• 2026, Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision, University of Waterloo

• 2026, Barrow Award, Metamorphic Studies Group, United Kingdom

• 2024, Early Geologic Career Award, Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology and Volcanology Division of the Geological Society of America

• 2023, University Research Chair, University of Waterloo

• 2021, Radhakrishna Prize, Geological Society of India

• 2020, Mineralogical Association of Canada Young Scientist Award

• 2020, Jane Lang Excellence in Earth and Environmental Sciences Teaching Award

• 2019, Ontario Early Researcher Award

• 2014, Young Author of the Year Award, Journal of the Geological Society, London

• 2012, Best PhD Graduate Talk Award, University of Maryland, Department of Geology

• 2011, Jack Henderson Prize for best M.Sc. Thesis. Canadian Tectonics Group. Geological Association of Canada

• 2010, W.A. Gorman Teaching Assistant Award. Queen’s University

• 2008, Best Undergraduate Thesis Award. Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University

• 2008, Rupert McNeil Award for Best Undergraduate Presentation. Atlantic Geoscience Society 34th Colloquium

• 2019 – Present, Professional Geoscientist (P. Geo.)

• EARTH 332 - Metamorphic Petrology
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026
• EARTH 471 - Mineral Deposits
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026
• EARTH 491 - Special Topics in Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Taught in 2025
• EARTH 625 - Advanced Petrology
  • Taught in 2021
• EARTH 649 - Precambrian Geology
  • Taught in 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• For the full list of Chris Yakymchuk's publications, please see Google Scholar.

• Yakymchuk, C., Kirkland, C.K., Clark, C. (2018). Th/U ratios in metamorphic zircon. Journal of Metamorphic Geology 36: 715–737. https://doi.org/10.1111/JMG.12307

• Yakymchuk, C., Holder, R.M., Kendrick, J., Moyen, J.F. (2023). Europium anomalies in zircon: a signal of crustal depth? Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 622: 118405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118405​

• Yakymchuk, C. and Brown, M. (2014). Behaviour of zircon and monazite during crustal melting. Journal of the Geological Society 171: 465–479. https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/full/10.1144/jgs2013-115

• Yakymchuk, C., van Hinsberg, V., Kirkland, C.K., Szilas, K., Kinney, C., Kendrick, J., Hollis, J. (2021). Corundum (ruby) growth during the final assembly of the Archean North Atlantic Craton, southern West Greenland. Ore Geology Reviews 138: 104417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2021.104417

• Drever, C., Kinney, C., Yakymchuk, C. (2023). Petrogenesis of an extra-large flake graphite deposit, Bissett Creek, Canada. Mineralium Deposita, 58: 731–750. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-022-01145-9