THE EFFECT OF WATER ON MANTLE PHASE TRANSITIONS

Abstract

Water has played an important role in the Earth’s evolution. The incorporation of water as hydroxyl into solid mineral phases or as coexisting hydrous fluids and melts affects the chemical and physical properties of crust and mantle constituents, i.e., it weakens rocks and minerals, reduces viscosity and strength of the materials, and depresses dramatically the melting temperature of silicate minerals