This paper presents the use of molecular dynamics simulation in the study of laser-induced thermal desorption (LITD) of water molecules adjacent to a laser-heated An substrate. The local structure of the water molecules is investigated by considering the densities of the oxygen and hydrogen atoms, the average number of neighbors, n(NN), and the average number of H-bonds, n(HB). At an equilibrium temperature of 300 K, the simulation results show that three adsorption water layers are formed in the immediate vicinity of the Au surface, and that each four-fold hollow site on the uppermost Au(001) surface is occupied by a single water molecule. Following laser-induced heating of the An substrate with a sub-picosecond laser pulse of 350 fs, the substrate temperature increases to 1000 K. This causes a gradual heating of the adjacent water film, which is accompanied by a decrease in the values of n(NN) and n(HB). Hence, it can be concluded that an increase in the water film temperature destroys the hydrogen-bonding network throughout the water film. Although the maximum local temperature of the water film occurs in the region immediately adjacent to the Au substrate, it is determined that the attractive energy between the Au atoms and the water molecules in this region causes the water molecules to aggregate together to form three-dimensional water clusters. Furthermore, this energy prevents the hydrogen bonds in this region from breaking apart as violently as those within the phase explosion region. Finally, it is observed that the phase explosion phenomenon occurs in the region of the water film where the values of n(NN) and n(HB) are at a minimum. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.