Distribution of Water in the Earth's Crust, its Physicochemical States and Behaviors at High Temperatures

Abstract

Water in the earth's crust has been found to be distributed heterogeneously in rocks by means of infrared microspectroscopy. Water is present as different chemical species in polycrystalline quartz aggregates: OH in crystal defects, fluid inclusions, water molecule layers at the grain boundaries and pore waters. Recent in-situ IR microspectrosopy revealed that the real physicochemical nature of water in silicates at high temperatures is different from that at ambiant conditions. In-situ dehydration kinetics of some hydrous minerals and glasses were investigated in order to provide quantitative bases for dynamic processes such as metamorphism, deformation and volcanism.