Atom probe yields geologically meaningful ages from nanoscale Pb-enriched dislocation loops in discordant zircon.

Atom probe tomography (APT) is an analytical technique that provides quantitative three‐dimensional elemental and isotopic analyses at sub‐nanometre resolution across the whole periodic table. Although developed and mostly used in the materials science and semiconductor fields, recent years have seen increasing development and application in the geoscience and planetary science disciplines. Atom probe studies demonstrate compositional complexity at the nanoscale and provide fundamental new insights into the atom‐scale mechanisms taking place in minerals over geological time. Here, we provide an overview of APT, including the historical development and technical aspects of the instrumentation, and the fundamentals of data acquisition, data processing and data reconstruction. We also review previous studies and highlight the potential future applications of nanoscale geochemical studies of natural materials.

20Both gold-rich sulphides and ultra-high grade native gold oreshoots are common but poorly understood 21 phenomenon in orogenic-type mineral systems, partly because fluids in these systems are considered to 22 42 the preference of the arsenopyrite crystal structure for Ni and Co, rather than gold, and the release of 43 sulphur during reaction, can drive gold remobilisation in many deposits across broad regions. 44 444

The widespread use of zircon in geochemical and geochronological studies of crustal rocks is underpinned by an understanding of the processes that may modify its composition. Deformation during tectonic and impact related strain is known to modify zircon trace element compositions, but the mechanisms by which this occurs remain unresolved. Here we combine electron backscatter diffraction, transmission Kikuchi diffraction and atom probe microscopy to investigate trace element migration associated with a ~20 nm wide, 2° low-angle subgrain boundary formed in zircon during a single, high-strain rate, deformation associated with a bolide impact. The lowangle boundary shows elevated concentrations of both substitutional (Y) and interstitial (Al, Mg & Be) ions. The observed compositional variations reflect a dynamic process associated with the recovery of shock-induced vacancies and dislocations into lower energy low-angle boundaries. Y segregation is linked to the migration and localization of oxygen vacancies, whilst the interstitial ions migrate in association with dislocations. These data represent the direct nanoscale observation of geologically-instantaneous, trace element migration associated with crystal plasticity of zircon and provide a framework for further understanding mass transfer processes in zircon.