Properties of Hydrous Fluids and Silicate Melts at Very High Temperature and Pressures

High-temperature, high-pressure, water-rich fluids play a central role in many geological processes. However, these fluids are extremely difficult to characterise: although their effects are evident in many rocks, the fluids themselves are too reactive to be preserved. Here several novel techniques are described for studying the compositions and thermodynamic properties of hydrous fluids and silicate melts over a wide range of geologically relevant conditions. The results of this study will greatly improve the understanding of geological processes as widely diverse as volcanism, ore deposition and metamorphism.