Deep Volatile Cycling

How water, carbon, and sulfur move through the Earth's interior — stored in minerals, dissolved in melts, and transported by fluids.

Volatile elements — water, carbon, sulfur — profoundly influence mantle dynamics, melting, and the long-term habitability of our planet. This theme spans experiments on the stability of hydrous silicates in the lower mantle, the properties of hydrous silicate melts and their role in the deep mantle H₂O cycle, the fate of subducted carbonate, and sulfur solubility in deep magma oceans.

Recent work has used ab initio molecular dynamics to predict mineral–water reactions at mantle conditions, and laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments to explore how volatiles affect phase relations, melt viscosity, and the seismic discontinuities observed in the transition zone. This research has been supported by the Royal Society and NERC, and draws on a long-standing interest in the interplay between volatile elements and the thermal and chemical evolution of the Earth.