Solubility of water in bridgmanite

Abstract

Water in Earth’s mantle plays a critical role in both geodynamic and surficial habitability. Water in the upper mantle and transition zone is widely discussed, but less is known about the water in the lower mantle despite it constituting over half of Earth’s mass. Understanding the water storage in Earth’s lower mantle relies on comprehending the water solubility of bridgmanite, which is the most abundant mineral both in the lower mantle and throughout Earth. Nevertheless, due to limited access to the lower mantle, our understanding of water in bridgmanite mainly comes from laboratory experiments and theoretical calculations, and a huge controversy still exists. In this paper, we provide a review of the commonly employed research methods and current findings concerning the solubility of water in bridgmanite. Potential factors, such as pressure, temperature, compositions, etc., that influence the water solubility of bridgmanite will be discussed, along with insights into future research directions.