What is the key chemical agent that lowers the melting point of mantle rock in a subduction zone?
Answer
Water released from the subducting slab
The addition of water, which escapes the sinking slab through dehydration, significantly lowers the solidus (melting temperature) of the overlying mantle rock, initiating flux melting.
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BEHIND THE SCIENCE 2011 | Subduction Zone Volcanoes
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