Previous studies on complex chemical systems, approximating enriched ultramafic compositions, have shown that the stability fields of certain phyllosilicate minerals may be shifted through solid solution. This project focuses on three hydrous phases predicted to play an important role in water transfer and storage during subduction. Talc, and at higher pressures the 10 A phase, are expected form in enriched abyssal peridotite within the cold interior of a lithospheric slab, whilst the sodic amphibole eckermannite is expected to be present in the overlying hydrated basalt. Multi-anvil and piston cylinder press experiments in the FeO-MgO-SiO2-H2O (FMSH), NaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O (NMASH), and MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O (MASH) systems have sought to determine the effect of solid solution on the stability on talc and the 10 A phase, with comparison to the end-member MgO-SiO2-H2O (MSH) system. The reaction talc + H2O = 10 A phase has been bracketed in the MSH system at 4.8 GPa/560 ˚C and 5 GPa/640 ˚C, confirming the estimated reaction position from Pawley et al. (2011). Previously unknown values for the entropy and enthalpy of formation of the 10 A phase have been calculated as DeltaHf = -6172.02 kJ and DeltaSf = 320.075 JK-1. At 2 GPa talc containing 0.48 apfu Fe2+ breaks down in the divariant field talc + anthophyllite + quartz + H2O from ~550 ˚C, initiating talc dehydration at temperatures ~270 ˚C lower than in the MSH system. At 4 GPa Fe-bearing talc breaks down in the divariant field talc + enstatite + coesite. A run at 5.2 GPa and 555 ˚C produced 10 A phase containing 0.48 apfu Fe2+. Between 575 ˚C and 600 ˚C at 6.5 GPa phase reversal experiments bracketed the initiation of Fe-bearing 10 A phase dehydration in the divariant field 10 A phase + enstatite + coesite + H2O, corresponding to a reduction in thermal stability of around ~100 ˚C compared to the end-member. The relative positions of the talc and 10 A phase dehydration reactions suggest the latter is able to accommodate greater Fe substitution, and is therefore more stable in the FMSH system. The assemblages 10 A phase + enstatite + coesite + jadeite and 10 A phase + enstatite + pyrope + coesite, were synthesised in the NMASH and MASH systems, respectively. Compositional analysis indicates that the 10 Å phase in these samples contains < 1 weight % Al2O3, with negligible Na. This suggests that Al3+ substitution in talc and the 10 Å phase is unlikely to exert the same stabilising effect observed in a number of other phyllosilicates. Eckermannite was produced in further NMASH experiments at 6.2 GPa. Compositional and structural analysis indicates near-full A-site occupancy and a composition close to that of the end-member, deviating through a minor binary exchange towards Mg-katophorite. This exchange is proposed to stabilise eckermannite to high pressures, beyond previously published limits for sodic amphibole stability. Updated stability fields for talc, the 10 Å phase, and eckermannite were applied to a thermal model for subduction. This predicts that 10 Å phase containing 0.48 apfu Fe2+ may be stable to depths of ~260 km, compared to ~280 km for the end-member. With increasing pressure and temperature Fe-bearing 10 Å phase will dehydrate across a depth range, resulting in either total de-volatilisation, or transfer to other stable high pressure hydrous phases enabling the transport of water to the deeper regions of the mantle.

Les serpentinites sont les roches produites par l’hydratation de la péridotite au niveau du plancher océanique. L’antigorite est la phase de haute température et haute pression appartenant au groupe minéral des serpentines, pouvant contenir dans sa structure jusqu’à 13 wt% H2O, et permet ainsi le transfert de quantités considérables d’eau dans le manteau, à travers les processus de subduction. Sa déstabilisation est fonction du chemin thermique emprunté par la plaque plongeante. Durant cette thèse nous avons étudié deux cas de figure pour la déshydratation de l’antigorite menant soit à la libération des fluides dans le coin mantellique et à la production des magmas d’arc, soit au transfert de l’eau à plus grandes profondeurs).Dans un premier temps, des expériences de déshydratation d’antigorite naturelle ont été conduites sur la presse multi-enclumes à 3 GPa et entre 600 et 900°C. Les conditions oxydantes ou bien réductrices ont été contrôlées par le dispositif expérimental (four en graphite ou en chromite de lanthane). Cette étude a permis de caractériser les produits de déshydratation de l’antigorite dans un système chimique représentatif des systèmes naturels ainsi que de contraindre l’état redox des réactions associées. En effet, les résultats mis en avant par cette étude montrent une fO2 équivalente au tampon Quartz-Magnétite-Fayalite (QFM) +5. Un tel potentiel oxydant des fluides issus de la déshydratation de l’antigorite soutient l’hypothèse de l’oxydation de la source mantellique des magmas d’arcs, présentant des rapports Fe3+/Fetotal plus élevés que les basaltes de ride médio-océanique par exemple.Dans un second temps, nous nous sommes intéressés aux modalités de transfert de l’eau dans le manteau profond. L’antigorite naturelle a cette fois été déstabilisée à de plus fortes pressions allant de 6.5 à 10 GPa pour des températures comprises entre 500 et 850°C. Ces résultats expérimentaux, ainsi qu’une analyse géométrique des relations de phases dans le system FMASH selon la méthode de Shreinemaker, ont mis en avant des modifications dans le diagramme de phase pour un système ultramafique hydraté en comparaison des études précédentes. En effet, la phase A est communément décrite comme le produit de déstabilisation de l’antigorite à haute pression, tandis que la phase E n’apparait qu’à des profondeurs plus importantes. Nos résultats suggèrent, dans le système naturel enrichi en aluminium et en fer, une stabilité continue des phases hydratées, suivant la transition antigorite > phase E > phase A pour des températures inférieures à 750°C. Cette étude a également permis d’affiner les estimations des quantités d’eau pouvant être stockées dans les assemblages de minéraux hydratés stables dans la lithosphère plongeante (slab). Dans le cas des plaques plongeantes relativement froides (<750°C à 8-10 GPa) le transport de l’eau par le biais des « Dense Hydrous Magnesium Silicates » (DHMS) phase A et phase E soutient l’hypothèse de l’hydratation de la zone de transition dans le manteau. / From the Mid-Oceanic-Ridge to the subduction trench, hydration of peridotite minerals in the upper part of the oceanic lithosphere produces hydrous phases such as serpentine. Because of its high-water content (13 wt% H2O) this mineral family is of particular interest for water fluxes. Depending on the thermal path followed by the lithosphere while sinking into the mantle, antigorite destabilization can either lead to fluid release in the mantle wedge or water transfer to deeper levels. During this thesis we conducted experimental investigations of antigorite dehydration in the framework of these two scenarios.First, we investigated antigorite dehydration under conditions relevant to slab water release, known to trigger partial melting and to generate arc magmatism. Multi-anvil experiments were conducted on a natural serpentinite sample, at 3 GPa and between 600 and 900°C under different redox conditions. We were able to constrain phase assemblages produced by antigorite dehydration as well as the fO2 of such reactions to 5 units above the FMQ (Fayalite-Magnetite-Quartz buffer). These results support the oxidizing character of slab released fluids, that could explain the oxidized character of arc magmas compared to Mid-Oceanic-Ridge basalts or Oceanic-Island basalts.The second experimental work conducted during this thesis allowed to refine phase equilibria involving antigorite and the Dense Hydrous Magnesium Silicates (DHMS) phase A and phase E, in a realistic chemical composition for hydrated ultramafic system. Antigorite destabilization was performed between 6.5 and 10 GPa, for temperatures in the range <500-850°C. Our experimental results, together with a Shreinemaker’s analysis in the FMASH system led to establish a modified phase diagram compared to those presented in previous studies. While phase A has been described as the high-pressure product of antigorite breakdown in the literature, followed by phase E stability at higher pressure, we propose the transitionantigorite>phase E>phase A for the aluminous and iron-rich hydrated peridotite system. This study allowed the refinement of water budgets that can be stored in relatively cold slabs (<750°C at 8-10 GPa), supporting the hypothesis of water survival down to the transition zone.

Conventional ergonomics analysis involves building physical mockups and conducting simulated operations, such that the constraints experienced by the human subjects can be directly observed. The limitations of this approach are that, they are resource intensive, less flexible for testing design variability and difficult to involve large number of subjects to account for population variability and thus, it is a reactive approach. With the advent of computer aided techniques, efforts are on to support ergonomics analysis processes for proactive design approaches. To achieve this, real scenarios are being simulated in virtual environments which include induction of representative human subjects into such envi-ronments and are termed as Digital Human Models (DHMs). The main challenge in the simulation of humans is to obtain the naturalness that is perceived in human interaction with the environment. This naturalness can be achieved by synergetically modeling the physical performance and cognitive aspects of humans in such a way that one aspect caters the requirements posed from the other. But in current DHMs, the various elements in the physical performance aspect are not in line with the requirements of higher level behav¬ioral/cogntive aspects. Towards meeting this objective, the influence of physical performance aspects of humans on achieving naturalness when DHM interacts with the virtual environment has been studied. In this work, the task of ’reach’ has been chosen for studying the influence of kinematic structure, posture modeling and stability aspects on achieving naturalness for both discrete and statistical humans. Also, a framework has been developed to give instructions based on relations between the segments of the body and objects in the environment. Kinematic structure is modeled to simulate the humans with varied dimensions taking care of the change of link fixations necessary for various tasks. The conventional techniques used to define kinematic structures have limitations in resolving the issues that arise due to change in link fixations. In this work a new scheme is developed to effectively handle precedence relationship sand change of configuration of the existing posture whenever link fixations change. The advantage with this new approach is that complex maneuvers which involve different link fixations and multiple fixations at a time can be managed automati¬cally without the user’s intervention. Posture prediction involves estimation of the whole body posture which a human operator is likely to assume while performing a task. It involves finding a configuration satisfy¬ing the constraints like placing the body-segments in preferred locations of the task space and satisfying the relations specified between body segments. There are two main chal¬lenges in this regard; one is achieving naturalness in the predicted postures and the other is minimizing the mathematical complexity involved in finding the real time solutions. A human-specific posture prediction framework is developed which can handle a variety of constraints and realize the natural behavior. The approach is completely geometry based and unlike numerical methods, the solutions involve no matrix inversions. Digital human models (DHMs), both as avatars and agents, need to be controlled to make them manipulate the objects in the virtual world. A relations based description scheme is developed to instruct the DHM to perform the tasks. The descriptions as a set of relations and postures involve simple triplets and quadruplets. As the descriptions constitute only the relations between actors, incorporating different behavior models while executing the relations is feasible through this framework. Static balancing is one of the crucial factors influencing the posture of humans. The stim¬ulus for the static balancing is the body’s self weight and is governed by the location of its point of application, namely the center of mass (COM). The main focus is on determin¬ing suitable locations for COM to infer about the mobility of the segments which supports the human structure in slow motion scenarios. Various geometric conditions necessary for support retaining, altering are deduced and developed strategies for posture transitions for effective task performance while maintaining stability. These conditions are useful in de¬termining the posture transition required to shift the COM from one region to the other and thus the behaviors realized while accomplishing the tasks are realistic. These behaviors are simulated through statically stable walking and sit to stand posture transition. One of the advantages of employing DHMs in virtual simulations is the feasibility of creat¬ing human models with varied dimensions. A comparative study is conducted on different methods based on probabilistic and statistic theory as an alternative to the percentile based approach with a view to answer the questions like ’what percentage of people can success-fully accomplish a certain task’ and ’how well can people perform when they reach a point in the operational space’. The case study is done assuming upper and lower arms of hu¬mans as a two link planar manipulator and their link lengths as random variables. Making use of statistical DHMs, the concept of task dependent boundary manikins is introduced to geometrically characterize the extreme individuals in the given population who would ac-complish the task. Simulations with these manikins would help designers to visualize how differently the extreme individuals would perform the task. All these different aspects of DHM discussed are incorporated in our native DHM developed named ’MAYAMANAV’. Finally this thesis will end with conclusions and future work discussing how these different aspects of DHM discussed can be combined with behavioral models to simulate the human error.