Volatiles, Melt and Viscosity: Consequences for Mantle Evolution and Climate System Interactions

The 2025 Interior of the Earth GRC will focus on the interplay of volatiles, mantle melting processes, mantle viscosity and their consequences for the dynamics and evolution of the Earth’s interior and its interactions with the climate system. Volatiles such as water and carbon have potential to dramatically alter the properties and dynamic behavior of Earth’s mantle and crust. Ongoing research is yielding key insights about the distribution of volatiles inside the Earth, their impacts on the production of partial melt and on mantle rheology, and their roles in plate tectonics, mantle convection and the evolution of Earth’s interior since its formation. Knowledge is also advancing about the processes that dominate the cycling of volatiles between the Earth’s interior and its climate system (cryosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere), both in the recent plate tectonic regime and billions of years ago, and about the importance of mantle viscosity in determining the solid Earth response to changing mass loads such as ice sheets and sea-level.

The 2025 Interior of the Earth GRC will explore these fascinating and interwoven processes by integrating perspectives from geochemistry, petrology, geophysics (including geodynamics, seismology, geodesy, and paleomagnetism), rock deformation, mineral physics, and geology. The participation of junior scientists (graduate students and postdocs) is particularly encouraged, both in the preceding Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) and in the GRC. Some financial support will be available for junior scientists, who may contact the GRC chair to apply for these funds. Both the GRC and the GRS will include vibrant, interactive poster sessions with abundant time for discussion, and unscheduled afternoons during the GRC will allow for free interactions among participants at all career stages. These meetings represent an excellent opportunity to start cross-disciplinary collaborations and to learn about cutting-edge findings in adjacent fields.