Understanding how our planet evolves and how it became habitable requires a better understanding of the fates and transport of oceanic materials (e.g., sediment, altered igneous crust, serpentinite) and volatiles (e.g., hydrogen and carbon) from the surface to the Earth’s interior via subduction zones. Subduction is a fundamental process that controls the exchange of oceanic materials and volatiles between the surface and the deep Earth. These subducted materials impart their geochemical signatures to the overlying mantle through dehydration and melting processes which are ultimately reflected in the compositions of arc magmas worldwide. However, the physical and chemical processes that control the fates of subducted materials and volatiles deep inside our planet remain poorly understood. In this talk, I will discuss a continuum of interrelated processes in subduction zones and highlight how we can use high pressure-temperature laboratory experiments to probe geochemical interactions in the shallow mantle wedge and track the fate of subducted carbon beyond subarc depths using in-situ electrical conductivity measurements. These highlight the roles of fluids and magmas in mass transfer, and the physical and chemical consequences of their interactions with the solid Earth. 

Snacks served.