Objective
The origin and survival of life on Earth depend on the availability of water. Plate tectonics connects the Earth’s surface with its deep interior and promotes exchange of H2O between the surface and the Earth’s mantle. The resultant deep H2O cycle has affected the evolution of the oceans and atmosphere on Earth and supplies H2O to the mantle. Rocks of the upper mantle may store H2O as defects in the crystal structures of nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs). The NAMs of the lower mantle, however, incorporate significantly less H2O. As a consequence, the contribution of the lower mantle to the deep H2O cycle has been discounted as minor. HYDROSPHEAR challenges this paradigm by investigating the storage of H2O in solid hydrous phases (SHPs) and hydrous melts of the lower mantle.
Phase D and phase H are SHPs that form at pressures and temperatures of the lower mantle. The stability limits of phase D and phase H in complex chemical systems and in realistic phase assemblages remain largely unconstrained, in particular, at pressures of the deeper lower mantle. HYDROSPHEAR will determine the stability limits of these SHPs in rocks of the lower mantle by performing high-pressure melting experiments.
Melting reactions will be sampled in laser-heated diamond anvil cells (DACs). We will detect the formation of a melt phase by Brillouin spectroscopy and, in the same experiment, measure the speed of sound in the hydrous melt. Brillouin spectroscopy will also be used to determine the elastic properties of single crystals of SHPs at high pressures and high temperatures. Complementary high-pressure experiments in DACs and multi-anvil presses will constrain the equations of state and phase relations of SHPs.
The experimental results will be integrated into a systematic search for hydrous rocks and hydrous melts in the lower mantle by analysing seismic observations. The emerging picture of H2O storage and transport in the lower mantle will reshape our image of the deep H2O cycle.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
95447 BAYREUTH
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.