The Earth’s lithosphere is a highly dynamic system, exerting a key control on global scale tectonics and the chemical evolution of our planet. Among the factors that influence the rheology and evolution of the mantle and crust, the occurrence of fluids and/or melts is one of the most prominent. The presence and migration of melts and fluids in the lithosphere can be caused by a variety of mechanisms (e.g., plume ascent, slab subduction, dehydration metamorphism, hydrothermalism), the products of which are recorded both in mantle rocks as metasomatic reactions, or at the surface as volcanism, seismicity, gaseous emissions and/or deformation.
To shed light on the evolution of the Earth’s mantle in different geodynamic settings and investigate the nature and distribution of fluids and melts at various depths in the lithosphere, it is necessary to adopt multi-parametric and multi-disciplinary approaches, combining petrology and geochemistry of mantle-derived rocks to field studies, modeling and theoretical approaches about the rheology of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system. Such integrated studies are better suited not only to image and trace melts and fluids in various geological environments, but also to identify specific seismicity patterns and chemical signatures in order to mitigate natural and anthropogenic hazards.
This session welcomes contributions from a broad range of topics, including: i) petrology and geochemistry of minerals and melt/fluid inclusions in mantle rocks and mantle-derived melts; ii) gaseous emissions and thermodynamic modelling; iii) seismic monitoring and tomography. Contributions from Early Career Scientists are specifically encouraged.