Nanoscale Storage of Incompatible Elements at Olivine Grain Boundaries in Natural Basalts

Abstract

Grain boundaries are pervasive in polycrystalline olivine, yet their structure and trace-element chemistry remain poorly constrained. We characterize boundaries in undeformed olivine aggregates from Piton de la Fournaise (La Reunion) and Mauna Loa (Hawaii) by correlating electron backscatter diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography. The boundaries are crystalline, with a structural width of about 1 nm and no continuous glassy film resolved. Ca, Al, P, Na, and Ti are selectively enriched, whereas Mg, Fe, Ni, and Mn remain homogeneous. Several enriched mass windows coincide with nominal rare-earth-element ion positions, but unresolved isobars and the lack of a diagnostic isotope envelope preclude secure assignments. Divalent-cation segregation follows an ionic-size-misfit trend, while aliovalent departures require unconstrained contributions. The Ca interfacial excess is 2.94-2.97 atoms per square nanometer, equivalent to 0.327-0.330 monolayers, and lies near the upper published 1523 K equilibrium segregation isotherm of Hiraga et al. (2004), within the range of basaltic olivine crystallization temperatures. This supports boundary formation during crystal growth, although synneusis followed by high-temperature residence could produce a similar signature. Ca chemical widths are about 6-9 nm, and those of the most strongly enriched elements reach about 10-15 nm, demonstrating decoupling between the narrow structural core and broader chemical segregation. Compared with published atom-probe data on deformed olivine, these boundaries preserve broader halos, although analytical differences make the contrast tentative. Olivine grain boundaries therefore constitute a distinct nanoscale reservoir that should be included alongside crystal interiors and residual melt in trace-element mass balances of olivine-rich aggregates.