A hidden carbon cycle exists inside Earth. Every year, megatons of carbon disappear into
subduction zones, affecting atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen over Earth's history …

The continental crust is unique to the Earth in the solar system, and controversies remain
regarding its origin, accretion and reworking of continents. The plate tectonics theory has …

Volatile elements (water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, halogens, and noble gases) played an
essential role in the secular evolution of the solid Earth and emergence of life. Here we …

Sulfur belongs among H2O, CO2, and Cl as one of the key volatiles in Earth's chemical
cycles. High oxygen fugacity, sulfur concentration, and δ34S values in volcanic arc rocks …

How serpentinites in the forearc mantle and subducted lithosphere become involved in
enriching the subarc mantle source of arc magmas is controversial. Here we report …

Many characteristics of the incoming oceanic lithosphere, such as its age, rigidity, fabric
orientation or sediment thickness, are often cited as important properties controlling the …

The nature and cause of deep earthquakes remain enduring unknowns in the field of
seismology. We present new models of thermal structures of subducted slabs traced to …

Recent thermodynamic and experimental studies have suggested that volatile organic
compounds (eg, methane, formate, and acetate) can be produced and stabilized in …

Fluids liberated from subducting slabs are critical in global geochemical cycles. We
investigate the behaviour of Mo during slab dehydration using two suites of exhumed …

Fluid–rock interaction has profound effects on the dynamics of the lithosphere. This
Perspectives article describes the catalytic effects of water on the kinetics of mineral …