Fluids and physicochemical properties and processes in the Earth
- Keywords:
- Fluid, Solubility, Thermodynamics, Mass transport, Permeability, Porosity, Wetting angle
The Earth's fluid budget is dominated by species in the system C–O–H–N–S together with halogens such as F and Cl. H2O is by far the most abundant. Such fluids are one of the two main mass transport agents (fluid and magma) in the Earth. Among those, in particular aqueous fluids are efficient solvents of geochemically important components at high temperature and pressure. The solution capacity of aqueous fluids can be enhanced further by dissolved halogens and sulfur. CO2 or nitrogen species has the opposite effect.