[meteorite-list] Workshop on Water in Planetary Basalts

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:30:19 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200707111630.JAA25055_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/basalts2007/

Workshop on Water in Planetary Basalts
November 14-15, 2007
Houston, Texas

------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Announcement - July 2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPONSORS
Lunar and Planetary Institute,
NASA Mars Exploration Program

CONVENER
Justin Filiberto, Lunar and Planetary Institute

SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Justin Filiberto, Lunar and Planetary Institute
Marc Hirschmann, University of Minnesota
Qingsong Li, Lunar and Planetary Institute

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  WORKSHOP LOCATION AND DATE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Workshop on Water in Planetary Basalts will be held November
14-15, 2007, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), housed in the
Center for Advanced Space Studies at 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston,
Texas.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  INTRODUCTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The abundance of water in planetary basalts is a crucial constraint on
their phase equilibria, and critical for determining the water content
of planetary mantles. Recent advances in analytical methods now allow
determination of water contents down to the ppm level, which allow
analyses of minerals previously considered to be anhydrous. For
instance, a recent study (Saal et al., 2007) detected water in lunar
glasses previously considered dry. Similarly, the presence of nominally
hydrous minerals in the SNC meteorites continues to fuel debate over how
much water is in martian basalts, and therefore the martian mantle.

There is, however, little agreement on the abundances of water in
planetary basalts, or the effects of that water on their equilibria.
Experiments have been conducted on planetary basalts with water contents
ranging from nearly anhydrous to water saturated, examining the effects
on the liquidus temperatures to make predictions about mantle
temperatures. Theoretical calculations rely on such experiments to
predict the amount and effect of water in planetary mantles. However,
there is little agreement about the scale of the effect of water in
planetary systems.

The goal of this workshop is to integrate the analytical, experimental,
and theoretical techniques in order to better understand the amount and
effect of water in planetary basaltic systems.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  PURPOSE AND SCOPE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Considering the potential significance of the search for water in
NASA's Mars and lunar programs and spacecraft missions, it is important
that the effect of water in planetary basalts be constrained. The
purpose of the workshop is to provide a venue for scientific exchange
about the effect of water of planetary basaltic systems in order to help
constrain volatile budgets in different planetary systems. The results
of the workshop will be presented to the planetary community.

Thus, the workshop is intended primarily for active researchers in
experimental petrology of hydrous basalts, geochemistry of planetary
basalts and mantles, modeling of planetary mantles and basalts, and
related relevant fields. Attendees should be prepared to discuss the
various techniques of water analysis in basalts, hydrous experiments,
modeling hydrous systems, and consider the effect of water on planetary
processes.

Additional info at:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/basalts2007/
Received on Wed 11 Jul 2007 12:30:19 PM PDT