European Journal of Mineralogy 

This special issue was initiated during the research workshop on Magma and Fluids, scheduled from 4 to 6 July 2022 at Orléans. This workshop was also an occasion to celebrate the prolific career of Michel Pichavant.

Magma and fluids play a crucial role in the Earth's dynamics by ruling mass and heat transfer from the innermost to the outermost regions of our planet. Capturing the ability of magma to convey heat requires its petrology to be tightly defined on the one hand and the mechanics of multiphase systems to be quantitatively addressed on the other hand. This approach can link intrusive to extrusive processes and is central to capturing the processes conducive to ore deposits. Magma is connected to fluids as it degases not only during volcanic processes but also during deep intrusions, as deep crystallization produces abundant fluids that can interact with the solids and mix with other fluids, building peri-magmatic hydrothermal systems and ore deposits.

In this special issue, we welcome contributions to the petrology, the transport properties, the geochemistry, and the mechanics of magma and fluids, as well as any studies connecting these two realms, using experimental, numerical, and field approaches to bridge the gap in knowledge on magma and fluids. We also welcome studies of high-temperature fluid–rock interactions.

Inclusions in natural rocks are an invaluable asset for geoscientists because they provide information about processes in the Earth's history that are otherwise hidden or subsequently overprinted. In particular, these "impurities" that are remnants of geological processes frozen in the rock record have the potential to provide quantitative data necessary for quantifying a wealth of processes of great impact for all humankind. The field of inclusion studies has been revolutionized in the last 2 decades with the development of ever more precise microanalytical probes that allow us for the first time to characterize tiny inclusions, as well as with a parallel development in theory that now allows the new data measured on inclusions to be used to define the chemical and physical conditions at the time of their formation.

Papers are invited on all aspects of solid and melt inclusions, both reviews of methodologies and specific case studies applied to all fields of geology, so that the special issue provides a comprehensive view of the latest developments of this fertile field. If you wish to discuss potential topics for your submission, please contact the guest editors.

Spectroscopic methods are a cornerstone of mineral studies. These methods have the capability to acquire information at multiple scales from atoms to molecules to chemical bonds, as well as to elucidate crystal structures, physical properties, and more.

This special issue addresses all aspects of the geosciences that focus on the investigation of mineralogical issues using the wide array of spectroscopic approaches. Such approaches include, but are not limited to, UV–Vis, IR, Raman, XAS, Mössbauer, EPR, NMR, MS, LIBS, Brillouin, and synchrotron-based spectroscopies as well as in situ and remote sensing spectroscopies. Contributions from investigations that involve other spectroscopic methods are also encouraged.

Spectroscopic research from all aspects of mineral sciences will be considered, including studies focused on sedimentary, metamorphic, plutonic, and deep Earth minerals, as well as applications to environmental issues, cultural heritage, gemology, soil science, planetary materials, meteorites, and more.

The study of materials used in the built environment has long attracted significant research efforts, with a continuous growth over the last few decades. Mineralogy has been pivotal in these studies, spanning from the analysis of the different mineral components of both natural stone and earthen structures, and man-made plasters, mortars, cements, and ceramics (bricks), to their weathering and conservation. In this EJM special issue we strive to gather cutting-edge, high-quality research on all the different aspects where mineralogy plays a role in the analysis of the broad variety of materials used in the built environment, both ancient and modern. We seek studies with a focus on one or several of the following aspects:

• mineralogical analysis of natural and man-made building materials. In particular, studies on the analysis of mineral components of different building materials, as well as the phase evolution in cementitious materials (e.g., during processing and setting of lime mortars, gypsum plaster, or cement/concrete), as well as ceramics (e.g., phase evolution during firing of bricks);
• evaluation of mineralogical changes undergone by such building materials due to physical and chemical weathering, as well as biodeterioration. In particular, the mechanisms that lead to degradation involving phase transformation (dissolution and precipitation) and/or new formation (e.g., salt weathering), as well as clay-related damage (swelling and shrinking);
• mineralogical analysis of inorganic conservation materials, their application, and evaluation of their effectiveness.

These studies should focus on both traditional and novel materials used in the protection and conservation of the built heritage, including but not limited to lime-, silica-, oxalate-, and phosphate-based materials (e.g., nanolimes, alkoxysilanes, among others).