Hattori argued that the prevailing view for volcano formation in arcs ic arc formation, that water is released rapidly from subducting slabs when they are metamorphosed to eclogite facies, is inconsistent with geological evidence. Instead, she proposed an alternative mechanism, suggesting that water is continuously released from slabs and stored as serpentinites (hydrated mantle rocks) and stressed that the subsequent dehydration of these serpentinites triggers the formation of arc volcanoes. Her work has established the importance and distribution of serpentinites on the major ocean floors, which control seismic activity and may potentially have played a role in the origin of life on the planet.
Additionally, Hattori's work highlighted that heavy metals and metalloids, such as arsenic and antimony, are generally considered to be concentrated in sulphides, but under sulphur-deficient conditions, these elements behave like normal rock-forming elements.