Volatiles and other incompatible elements play a fundamental role in Earth’s dynamic systems and significantly contribute to the well-being and sustainability of life, making our planet unique. Their influence on planetary-scale processes is profound, as their global cycles efficiently transfer elements from the surface to the deep interior through subduction zones.
Volatiles in melts and fluids hold the key to understanding Earth's inner workings. While major uncertainties remain, advances in multi-disciplinary approaches continue to reveal how these elements move through and shape our planet.
This session brings together scientists investigating the full spectrum of volatile and elemental cycles, with a focus on their principal carriers—melts and fluids. We welcome contributions from petrology, geochemistry, and related disciplines, drawing on natural samples, experiments, and modelling.
Topics of interest include:
i) deep volatile cycles of H₂O, CO₂, halogens and sulfur;
ii) volatile mobilization and transfer during subduction in COHNS fluids and silicate melts;
iii) roles of volatiles in metamorphic and metasomatic processes;
iv) physical and chemical properties of volatiles in melts and fluids;
v) volatile storage in the lithospheric mantle;
vi) emissions and reservoirs in volcanic systems.
Dorrit Jacob