Water exsolution from quartz: Implications for the generation of retrograde metamorphic fluids

Abstract

Available data from the literature suggest that the solubility of H2O in nominally anhydrous minerals such as quartz should increase with increasing metamorphic grade. If this is the case, water should precipitate from the host mineral during cooling and uplift of regionally metamorphosed terranes. Calculations indicate that this mechanism could result in the release of significant quantities of H2O, which would then be available to participate in retrograde hydration reactions and the formation of fluid inclusions.