Element and isotope mobility during water–rock interaction processes

Abstract Water–rock interactions as well as element/isotope mobility in geological settings are of increasing interest to the scientific community. Even though part of this increase in studies conducted on water/rock interactions is due to the availability of more sophisticated technical equipment for measuring elemental concentrations and isotopic ratios, the other part is due to a growing interest in the subjects themselves. The latter equally goes for studies focusing on both topics combined, i.e. element and/or isotope mobility during water–rock interactions. The degree of elemental/isotopic mobility determines, together with the elements/isotopes provided by the fluid, the availability of elements/isotopes for further reactions with the rock. Therefore this mobility is of fundamental importance to the reaction product and for understanding the water–rock interaction. Because several factors control the element/isotope mobility, studying element/isotope mobility in a variety of geoscientific frameworks, is essential to our insight in water–rock interaction processes.