The infrared signature of water associated with trivalent cations in olivine

Forsterite crystals were synthesised under water saturated conditions at 1400 °C and 1.5 GPa doped with trace amounts of either B, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ga, Y, Zr, In, Sm, Gd, Dy, Tm, or Lu. The common and intense hydroxyl stretching bands in the infrared spectra of spinel peridotite olivine, at 3572 and 3525 cm−1, were only reproduced in the presence of Ti. Those samples where the trace element substitutes as the trivalent cation on the Mg2+ site were identified from a systematic variation in concentration with the trivalent ionic radius. The hydroxyl region of all samples is essentially identical except for between 3300 and 3400 cm−1. This region is characterised by one or more bands, with the energy of the most intense feature being correlated with the ionic radius of the trivalent cation. The integrated intensity of these hydroxyl bands also correlates with the concentration of the trivalent cation. These correlations provide unambiguous evidence that bands, or peaks, in this region correspond to water at defect sites associated with trivalent cations. “Trivalent peaks” are sometimes observed in samples of mantle olivine and most likely indicate water associated with Fe3+. The water at this site is not incorporated under normal mantle conditions and should not be included in estimates of the water capacity of mantle olivine. These results emphasise the importance of identifying the infrared signature of different water substitution mechanisms.