Abstract
Hydrous fluids play a vital role in the chemical and rheological evolution of ductile, quartz-bearing continental crust, where fluid percolation pathways are controlled by grain boundary domains. In this study, widths of grain boundary domains in seven quartzite samples metamorphosed under varying crustal conditions were investigated using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) which allows comparatively easy, high magnification imaging and precise width measurements. It is observed that dynamic recrystallization at higher metamorphic grades is much more efficient at reducing grain boundary widths than at lower temperature conditions. The concept of force-distance spectroscopy, applied to geological samples for the first time, allows qualitative estimation of variations in the strength of grain boundary domains. The strength of grain boundary domains is inferred to be higher in the high grade quartzites, which is supported by Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) studies using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). The results of the study show that quartzites deformed and metamorphosed at higher grades have narrower channels without pores and an abundance of periodically arranged bridges oriented at right angles to the length of the boundary. We conclude that grain boundary domains in quartz-rich rocks are more resistant to fluid percolation in the granulite rather than the greenschist facies.
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Introduction
A number of mechanisms have been proposed in material and geological sciences to explain how fluids percolate through a medium under ductile and brittle conditions1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. Most postulated mechanisms agree that in a 3-dimensional material framework, grain/phase boundaries play a major role in fluid percolation7,2); depth profiles were obtained across them using the AFM. Grain boundary widths are then computed from these depth profiles.
Force Distance Spectroscopy
Force-distance spectra have been obtained using the AFM both over grain boundary domains, and in the interior of grains. A total of 36 points for ANG 1 and 21 points for RN 171 have been identified by first imaging the area and then capturing the FD spectra at each point. Details with regard to this technique have been outlined in Cappella and Dietler53. Out of several extractable parameters, which describe the sample surface with the help of Force—Distance (FD) Spectroscopy, a property known as ‘Plastic Deformation’ has been calculated in this study, which can qualitatively explain variations in intermolecular forces within the grain boundary domains, as well as variations in intermolecular forces between grain boundary domains and the grain interior. This is actually deformation that occurs and recovers gradually over time depending upon the elasticity of the material, and indicates that there is ongoing deformation at that particular point within the observation time-scale or time window during which the FD curves are being generated. Lesser deformation implies stronger grain boundary structures. In addition to this, elastic modulii (ES) of locations within the grains and near the grain boundaries have been calculated for both samples; detailed calculation procedures are shown in Section S5 of the ESI. To obtain the FD spectra, the applied force on the AFM tip has been kept constant throughout the study at ≈ 6.84 µN (equivalent to 9.5 V on photodiode) (calculation of the applied force from electrical signal generated on photodiode is shown in Section S4 of ESI).
EBSD studies
Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) data have been generated using a Zeiss-Auriga Compact system with a Gemini column Schottky type field emission filament. EBSD pattern detection is carried out using an Oxford Nordlys detector. The EBSD analyses have been carried out using a voltage of 30 kV and a step size of 0.5 microns. Grains within the EBSD map have been delineated using a threshold angle of 10° and from indexed grains only. Raw EBSD data have been de-noised using a half-quadratic filter and the KAM threshold has been set as 2.5° to document sensitive local misorientations, which provide an estimate of the dislocation density in a region.
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Acknowledgements
RD thanks the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), for the award of the fellowship and contingency Grant (No. 09/081(1242)/2015-EMR-I). SG acknowledges the infrastructural facilities provided by Head, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur. SG thanks the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, for the infrastructural facilities that enabled us to conduct this study.
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The idea of the work presented here was conceived by S.G. and R.M. R.D. wrote the primary draft of the manuscript and did the EBSD work. A.D. performed all the AFM study. All authors looked through and worked on the final draft of the manuscript, and approve the submission of the same.
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Dobe, R., Das, A., Mukherjee, R. et al. Evaluation of grain boundaries as percolation pathways in quartz-rich continental crust using Atomic Force Microscopy. Sci Rep 11, 9831 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89250-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89250-z
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