Previous studies on volatile behaviour in the mantle have shown that the process of subduction represents an efficient barrier to the return of halogens (F, Cl, Br, I) to the upper mantle. However, this barrier, while efficient, is not complete. Halogen signatures have been found in material derived from the upper mantle, suggesting that halogens may persist within the subducting slab and be stored in mineral phases of the upper mantle. Candidate phases for the transfer to and potential fractionation and storage of halogens in the mantle are currently the subject of debate. To further knowledge of the halogen systematics of subduction zones, this project focuses on the geochemical analysis of suites of natural samples from the former subduction zone regions of the western and central Alps and western Norway. The Alpine suite represents subducted oceanic crust and may provide insight into the changes that occur in the slab during subduction. The Norway suite represents mantle wedge material and may provide information on halogens released from the slab during subduction. In addition to natural sample analyses, this project includes the experimental synthesis of high-pressure hydrous phases — humite-group minerals and lawsonite — to investigate the behaviour of fluorine in hydrous silicate minerals that could act as potential fluorine host phases at elevated pressures and temperatures. Oceanic, eclogite facies rocks from the western and central Alps contain variable concentrations of F (<100-800 ppm) and low concentrations of Cl (3-75 ppm), Br (1-350 ppb) and I (<0.1-40 ppb), relative to altered oceanic crust. Significant devolatilisation of Cl, Br and I, therefore, occurs during subduction at shallower depths than eclogite facies, whereas F can be retained in the upper portions of the subducting slab. Br/Cl and I/Cl ratios in eclogite facies rocks greater than those of the AOC suggest the preferential loss of Cl, relative to Br and I, at shallow depths of subduction. Upon reaching eclogite facies conditions, the subducting slab has lost over 90% of its initial Cl, Br and I content. Eclogite facies crust contains 190-450 ppm F, 3-23 ppm Cl, 4-13 ppb Br and 0.3-1.3 ppb I. Minerals of mafic and ultramafic, eclogite facies rocks from the Western Gneiss Region, western Norway, show elevated Br/Cl and I/Cl ratios (up to 1.0×10-1 and 1.0×10-3 respectively), relative to seawater (Br/Cl = ~3.5×10-3 and I/Cl = ~3.5×10-6 ). Similar halogen ratios obtained by laser heating (Br/Cl = 1.9×10-2 and I/Cl = 1.6×10-4 ) and crushing (Br/Cl = 2.4×10-2 and I/Cl = 2.6×10-4 ) analyses suggest that the halogen composition of the eclogites is controlled primarily by fluid inclusions. Fluid inclusion microthermometry allows the reconstruction of the halogen content of the fluid and results in ~11.3-12.3 wt% Cl, 3000-3300 ppm Br and 33-37 ppm I. The elevated Br/Cl and I/Cl ratios of eclogitic fluids result from the fractionation of Cl from Br and I through evaporative processes and/or hydrous mineral crystallisation during subduction or metasomatism of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Metasomatism of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle may be induced through the subduction of continental crust, given its higher quantities of H2O and volatiles relative to oceanic crust. Experimentally synthesised humite-group minerals contain 1-11 wt% F, indicating high saturation limits for F and that a full solid solution exists between OHand F - endmember humite-group minerals. Average fluorine partition coefficients between humite-group minerals and aqueous fluid of ~3 indicate that fluorine has a strong preference for the silicate phase over the fluid phase at conditions of 800-1000°C and 2.0-2.5 GPa. Humitegroup minerals could, therefore, be important in the transfer and storage of F and H2O within the ultramafic material of the subducting slab. Experimentally synthesised minerals of the system CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O+F contain significant quantities of F, with lawsonite hosting up to 3 wt% F, zoisite hosting 0.5 wt% F and topaz hosting up to 12 wt% F, at conditions of 450-800°C and 1.5-5.0 GPa. Fluorine incorporated into the structure of CASH minerals has no effect on the positions of CASH mineral reaction boundaries in pressure-temperature space. Upon the breakdown of lawsonite, topaz is the major fluorine host at high pressures and temperatures in the system CASH. The synthesis of a garnet with ~6 wt% F indicates that garnet of the hydrogrossular variety, where F substitutes directly for Si, may also accommodate appreciable F at temperatures beyond the stability of lawsonite. Lawsonite, topaz, zoisite and F-bearing grossular could, therefore, be important in the transfer and storage of F within the mafic material of the descending slab. The process of subduction and the associated dehydration of mineral phases represents an efficient mechanism for the stripping of Cl, Br and I from the descending slab and the fractionation of halogens from one another. Appreciable quantities of heavy halogens (~10% of the AOC budget) may remain and persist through the subduction zone barrier, within high-pressure minerals and trapped fluids at eclogite facies. Fluorine, on the other hand may be retained to considerable depths within hydrous mineral phases, perhaps reaching the mantle transition zone.