Hydrous Minerals in Subduction Zones: the Earth’s Deep-Water Cycle

Dear Colleagues,

“Cold” subduction zones—those associated with old/fast-subducting oceanic lithosphere—are fundamental to the recycling of water in the deep Earth, as hydrous minerals can persist to depths >300 km. Structural water is an essential stoichiometric component of hydrous minerals (unlike nominally anhydrous minerals), and as such has a major influence on their physico-chemical behaviour and properties at high pressure.

A series of influential experimental studies in the 1990s identified key hydrous phases likely to be involved in the Earth’s deep-water cycle. In the following two decades, emphasis shifted from experimental determinations of phase stability towards detailed structural characterisation of these and related phases and correlations between composition, crystal structure and elastic properties.

Over the past 10 years significant new insights have been gained into the role of hydrous minerals in the transfer, storage and cycling of water in the deep crust and mantle. This Special Issue of Minerals aims to bring together current knowledge of subduction-zone mineralogy. Papers are invited on research on hydrous minerals associated with subduction zones. Topics include mineral stability, crystal structure, thermodynamics, solid solutions, transitional behaviour, structure-property correlations and computer simulation of elastic properties and seismicity.

Dr. Mark D. Welch
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• hydrous minerals
• subduction zones
• water transfer
• crystal structure
• elastic properties
• experimental studies
• computational studies
• thermodynamics
• solid solutions