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The presence of water strongly influences the structure, composition and dynamics of the Earth’s deep mantle^,,,. Hydrous magnesium-rich silicates play an important role in transporting water into the deep mantle when oceanic plates subduct as slabs. The highest-pressure form of such hydrous silicates, phase D, was reported to dissociate into an assemblage of nominally anhydrous phases plus water at pressures of about 44 GPa, equivalent to 1,250 km depth. In this way, free water would be released in the middle region of the lower mantle, which suggests that no water can reach the deeper regions of the lower mantle. Here we use in situ X-ray measurements in conjunction with a multi-anvil apparatus using sintered diamond anvils to show that hydrous phases are stable under lower mantle conditions up to 50 GPa. We found that phase D transforms to an assemblage with another hydrous silicate (MgSiH₂O₄ …