Magma genesis in the lesser Antilles island arc

¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd,⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and REE results are reported on volcanic rocks from the islands of Dominica and St. Kitts in the Lesser Antilles. Particular attention is given to the lavas and xenoliths of the Foundland (basalt-andesite) and the Plat Pays (andesite-dacite) volcanic centres on Dominica. Combined major and trace element [2] and isotope results suggest that the bulk of the andesites and dacites on Dominica, and by analogy in the rest of the arc, are produced by fractional crystallisation of basaltic magma. The differences in the erupted products of the two volcanoes do not appear to be related to any significant differences in the source rocks of the magmas.Along the arc⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios range from 0.7037 on St. Kitts, to 0.7041–0.7047 on Dominica, and 0.7039–0.7058 on Grenada [5], and these are accompanied by a parallel increase in K, Sr, Ba and the light REE's. Moreover, compared with LIL-element-enriched and -depleted rocks from MOR and intraplate environments, the basic rocks from the Lesser Antilles are preferentially enriched in alkaline elements (K, Ba, Rb, Sr) relative to less mobile elements such as the rare earths.¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd varies from 0.51308 on St. Kitts, to 0.51286 on Dominica, and 0.51264–0.51308 on Grenada [5], and all these samples have relatively high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios compared with the main trend of Nd and Sr isotopes for most mantle-derived volcanic rocks. Alkaline elements and⁸⁷Sr appear to have been introduced from the subducted ocean crust, but the results on other, less mobile elements are more ambiguous — island arc tholeiites (as on St. Kitts) do not appear to contain significant amounts of REE's, Zr, Y, etc., from the subducted oceanic crust, but such a contribution may be present in more LIL-element-enriched calc-alkaline rock types.     

Oceanic versus island arc origin of ophiolites

The silica content of basaltic rocks is an unreliable variable with which to distinguish ultramafic-mafic complexes developed at ocean ridges from those potentially formed beneath volcanic island arcs. Data from Appalachian ophiolites supports the view that silica metasomatism is responsible for the high silica content of supposed calc-alkaline basaltic rocks found in ophiolites such as Troodos, and that the high-silica (70 wt.%) leucocratic rocks associated with ophiolites are of tholeiitic rather than calc-alkaline parentage. The use of titanium as a discriminant of tectonic environment is also suspect because the titanium content of basalts associated with Appalachian ophiolites as well as those recently recovered from the Atlantic ocean floor ranges from values even lower than those typical of island arc tholeiites to values typical of abyssal tholeiites. However, the internal stratigraphy of ophiolites in both the Appalachian and Tethyan systems can only be explained on the basis of the postulate that ophiolites originate at oceanic spreading centres rather than beneath island arcs.     

Is the Vourinos Complex an island arc ophiolite?

A geochemical study has been undertaken on the Vourinos ophiolites, northern Greece, a complex long known for its unusual characteristics such as an environment of acidic rocks and a calc-alkaline chemical affinity. The Nd-Sr isotopic ratios and the Hf/Th and Ta/Th ratios are indicative of an island arc origin for Vourinos as opposed to the mid-oceanic ridge origin inferred for other ophiolites such as Inzecca, Corsica. Other data on trace elements confirm that the cumulative suite and the lavas originated from the same magma through a simple fractional crystallization process and show that this magma would have formed through partial melting of an already highly-depleted material. It is thus possible to distinguish ophiolites with MORB characteristics from island arc ophiolites such as the Vourinos Complex, the existence of the latter type imposing new constraints on the possible tectonic processes for emplacement.     

Petrogenesis of Cenezoic volcanic rocks from the Aegean island arc

The Aegean volcanic arc formed in response to northeasterly subduction of the Mediterranean sea floor beneath the Aegean Sea. The active arc lies over 250 km from the Hellenic Trench in a region which has suffered considerable extension and subsidence since the mid-Tertiary. Suites of samples from the different volcanic centres making up the arc have been studied geochemically in order to assess lateral variations and to constrain the contribution of crustal contamination and sediment subduction in their petrogenesis.Lavas from all the major volcanic centres exhibit typical calc-alkaline major-element characteristics, and show enrichment in light REE and LIL elements but low contents of HFS elements. The enrichment in light REE is greater in the eastern (Nisyros, Kos) and western (Milos, Poros, Methana, Aegina) sectors of the arc (Ce_n/Yb_n=4) than in the central Santorini sector (Ce_n/Yb_n=2). All lavas have significant negative Eu anomalies and many have slight negative Ce anomalies. Less coherence is observed in the abundances and ratios of the other LIL elements, compared with the REE, along the island chain.Whereas the effects of crystal fractionation are evident in the trace-element patterns of lavas from individual islands, and are particularly well marked for Santorini, it is clear that there are consistent differences in trace-element abundances and ratios in the lavas of the various islands which reflect compositional differences in the mantle source and/or in melting conditions. Lavas from the eastern and western sectors have much higher levels of Ba and Sr but relatively lower Th, K and Rb than those from Santorini. Although some geochemical features could be explained through involvement of a component of subducted sediment in the source regions of the volcanoes, other element abundances and ratios indicate that this component must be very small. Detailed consideration of the inter-island geochemical variations suggests a complex make-up of the underlying lithosphere, resulting from a long history of subduction. In the region of Santorini, where crustal stretching is greatest, the underlying asthenosphere may be involved in magma production.     

Genesis of the extremely low-K tonalites from the island arc volcanism

The Adachi-Medeshima pumice deposit of the Late Pleistocene age, found in Northeast Japan, contains extremely low-K tonalite fragments, having a wide variation in SiO₂ content but fairly uniform K₂O content (<0.1%). The tonalites coexist with essential dacite fragments. Mineralogical properties of the tonalites are the same as those of the pumice and dacite fragments. Sr isotope ratios of the tonalite, dacite fragments and pumice also fall within a narrow range. By assuming a Rayleigh fractionation model, the concentration of incompatible trace elements in cumulus phases was calculated, and the amounts of major elements were estimated from the fractionation ratios of each mineral and the volume ratio of crystal-liquid. The estimated element abundances of the cumulus phase show a MORB normalized pattern similar to that of the natural tonalite having cumulate textures. Thus, the tonalite represents the cumulus phase precipitated from dacite magma. Equilibrium temperatures and fO₂ of the tonalites, dacite fragments and pumice were estimated from coexisting magnetite-ilmenite pairs at 876°–796° C and –logfO₂ = 9.8–11.9, respectively. The fO₂ is among highest group yet reported. This is a case of extremely low-K tonalite which formed in the island arc system different from the oceanic environments.     

Implications of island arc rotations to the studies of marginal terranes

Paleomagnetic studies of rocks from the Bonin and Mariana Island arcs indicate that these island arcs have undergone substantial rotation and northward translation since their formation 40 to 45 Ma. These rotations are inconsistent with existing models of marginal basin and island arc formation. The data presently available suggest to us that the Mariana and Bonin island arcs rotated as one tectonic element at the margin of the Philippine Sea and Pacific plate. These observations demonstrate that large vertical axis rotations are present in the island arc environment, prior to any interaction with a continental landmass. Since many circum-Pacific marginal terranes have been assigned island arc origins, these pre-accretion rotations should be considered when interpreting paleomagnetic results for possible microplate reconstructions. Knowledge of the structural and rotational styles of oceanic pre-accretionary deformations may prove useful for separating these pre-accretion effects from those imposed by the accretionary process in future studies aimed at deciphering the geologic history of island arc marginal terranes.     

Effective elastic thickness of island arc lithosphere under Japan

Abstract Using topography and observed gravity anomalies, we have estimated the effective elastic thickness as a measure of strength of Japanese island arc lithosphere. The thickness is found to range from about 3 km to >20 km. The thickness seems to be controlled primarily by the thermal state of the lithosphere. The higher the heat flow, the thinner is the elastic plate. However, several areas show significant deviations. The smaller effective elastic thickness in the northern Ryukyu arc than that inferred from heat flow may be attributed to the stress regime. In Japan, extensional tectonics are going on only in the Ryukyu arc region. Shallow subducting slab under the south-western Japan frontal arc probably increases the effective thickness by several kilometers. The determined effective elastic thickness suggests that when we consider vertical movements in the volcanic arc, we should take account of topographic and subsurface loading over a few hundred kilometers. However, if the dip of the slab is shallow, the flexural responses of the underlying slab, not only that of the island arc lithosphere, should be taken into account for the compensation, as is the case of the south-western Japan frontal arc.     

Petrologic evolution of Palau,a nascent island arc

Palau Islands, 7°30′N, are the only emergent feature on the more than 2500‐km‐long Kyushu–Palau Ridge. Small islands are mainly uplifted reef carbonate. Larger islands are volcanic with basalt to dacite and rare boninite. Polymict breccia is abundant: sills, flows, and dykes are common but pillows are rare. Palau Trench samples include all types found on the islands as well as high‐Mg basalt. Volcanism began in the late Eocene and ended by early Miocene. All igneous rocks comprise a low‐K primitive island arc‐tholeiite series. None are mid‐ocean ridge basalts. Rare earth elements and high field‐strength elements indicate a depleted mantle source. Elevated large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements indicate influx of ‘dehydration fluid’. Ce/Ce* and Eu/Eu* ratios show no evidence for recycling of arc‐derived clastics. Plate reconstructions and paleomagnetic data suggest that the arc probably formed on the trace of a transform fault that migrated northward and rotated clockwise up to 90°. Episodes of transtension caused upwelling of hot mantle into depleted mantle and sheared altered rocks of the transform. Episodes of transpression may have initiated subduction of old seafloor with a thin cover of pelagic sediments deposited far from terrigenous sediment sources.     

The Troodos ophiolitic complex was probably formed in an island arc

The Troodos ophiolitic complex in Cyprus has been widely regarded as a fragment of oceanic crust that was created in a mid-oceanic ridge. However, about one-third of the analyzed rocks of the lower pillow lavas and sheeted complex in it follows a calc-alkalic trend. This strongly suggests that the massif was created as a basaltic volcano in an island arc with a relatively thin oceanic-type crust rather than in a mid-oceanic ridge. Other chemical features and the structure of the massif are also consistent with an island arc origin. Some other ophiolitic complexes also appear to have been formed in island arcs.     

Crystallisation conditions of low-pressure cumulate nodules from the Lesser Antilles island arc

Cumulate nodules with the low-pressure mineralogy of olivine-orthopyroxene-Ca-rich clinopyroxene-anorthite-amphibole-magnetite provide direct evidence for high-level fractionation of magmas in the Lesser Antilles volcanic island arc. The nodules only occur in volcanic centres comprising the sequence basalt-basaltic andesite-andesite-dacite, suggesting that this sequence is the product of fractional crystallisation of basaltic magma. Thermodynamic analysis of mineral equilibria in the nodules provides important information on the conditions under which fractionation occurred. Assuming a temperature of crystallisation in the range 1100–1200°C, the pressure of crystallisation of the nodules decreases from north to south along the arc, from approximately 9–10 kbars in Statia to 3 kbars in Grenada. This variation in the pressure of crystallisation should be directly related to variation in the depth to crustal magma chambers along the arc. Oxygen activity is uniformly high (>NNO) for all the available analysed nodules and shows no variation along the arc. P_H2O is generally less than 1000 bars except for Grenada where it is much higher (1000–3000 bars).     

The geological diversity of island arc volcanism: Northeast Russia

Paleovolcanological and paleotectonic reconstructions developed for the continent-ocean transition zone in Northeast Asia demonstrate a high diversity of island arc volcanic settings. There are two main types of island arc volcanism recognized so far, (i) volcanic arcs of euliminary systems (VAES) and (ii) intrageosynclinal volcanic arcs, including areas of insular volcanism (IIV). The volcanic arcs of euliminary systems include the present-day Kuril-Kamchatka, Aleutian, and the Paleozoic- Early Cretaceous Taigonos volcanic arcs. The latter is considered to be a part of the Talovka-Taigonos euliminary system (TTES), an old double island arc system analogous to present-day systems, the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian ones. Both the TTES and similar present-day euliminary systems are structural complexes that confine concentrically-zoned geosyncline areas on the side of the Pacific. The characteristic features of the VAES include a long history of evolution, stable (calc-alkaline) basalt-andesite composition of volcanic products, and transverse geochemical zonation. Geophysical evidence reveals the complicated processes of endogenous crustal accretion and destruction of continental crust within the VAES zones. The IIV follow the structural pattern of the corresponding geosynclinal system. Their evolution is relatively short, while the spatial position and the composition of their magmatic bodies may considerably vary at different stages of evolution of the geosynclinal systems. Most island arc zones are characterized by calc-alkaline volcanism, but potassium alkaline, alkali-ultrabasic, and ultrabasic rocks also occur in some structures. The settings of intrageosynclinal insular volcanism are diverse and include (a) volcanic overcompensation, (b) geoanticlinal uplift, and (c) volcanotectonic downwarping during the orogenic stage of geosynclines. The calc-alkaline volcanism of island environments in geoanticline zones is likely related to the endogenous accretion of continental crust within a geosyncline system. Intrageosynclinal island-arc volcanism is still very poorly understood. Investigation of this phenomenon is one of the urgent tasks of paleovolcanology.     

Characterization of the seismogenic process in the Aleutian island arc: III. Earthquakes at the western and eastern margins of the arc

Parameters of the focal mechanisms of earthquakes, as well as their relations to the characteristics of seismicity and geological structure are analyzed in the regions of the Komandorskie Islands in the west of the Aleutian arc, the Fox Islands, and the Alaska Peninsula coast in the east of the arc. Different types of ruptures are revealed in the western and eastern parts of the Aleutian arc. The leading type of ruptures at the southern slope of the Komandorskie Islands is steep reverse faults crossing the arc at azimuths from submeridional to northeastern. A similar type of rupture occurs in abundance on the Rat Islands and is predominant on the Near Islands. Steep strike-slips with small components of the normal or reverse fault manifest themselves at the northern side of the block uplift of the Komandorskie Islands. Seismogenic ruptures in the region of the Komandorskie Islands do not contradict geological data on the rupture tectonics on Medny and Bering islands. At the southern slope of the Fox Islands, as well as in the Andreanof Islands, steep reverse faults striking longitudinally (along the arc) with the dip toward the deep-sea trench are the predominant type of seismogenic ruptures. This type of seismogenic ruptures is the leading type for the structures of island arcs with present-day volcanism; an example is the Kurile-Kamchatka island. Different types of predominant seismogenic ruptures in the western and eastern parts of the Aleutian island arc probably reflect different stages of the tectonic development of these regions of the arc. Possible positions and sizes of sources of the largest historical earthquakes in the eastern part of the Aleutian island arc are considered     

The dykes and structural setting of the volcanic front in the Lesser Antilles island arc

The orientations of dykes from many of the islands of the Lesser Antilles island arc have been mapped. Most of these dykes can be interpreted in terms of local or regional swarms derived from specific volcanoes of known age, with distinct preferred orientations. Dykes are known from all Cenozoic epochs except the Palaeocene, but are most common in Pliocene, Miocene and Oligocene rocks. A majority of the sampled dykes are basaltic, intrude volcaniclastic host rocks and show a preference for widths of 1–1.25 m. Locally, dyke swarms dilate their hosts by up to 9% over hundreds of metres and up to 2% over distances of kilometres. The azimuths of dykes of all ages show a general NE-SW preferred orientation with a second NW-SE mode particularly in the Miocene rocks of Martinique. The regional setting for these minor intrusions is a volcanic front above a subduction zone composed of three segments: Saba-Montserrat, Guadeloupe-Martinique, St. Lucia-Grenada. The spacing of volcanic centres along this front is interpreted in terms of rising plumes of basaltic magma spaced about 30 km apart. This magma is normally intercepted at crustal depths by dioritic plutons and andesitic/dacitic magma generated there. Plumes which intersect transverse fracture systems or which migrate along the front can avoid these crustal traps. Throughout its history the volcanic front as a whole has migrated, episodically, towards the backarc at an average velocity of about 1 km/Ma. The local direction of plate convergence is negatively correlated with the local preferred orientation of dykes. The dominant NE-SW azimuth mode corresponds closely to the direction of faulting in the sedimentary cover of the backarc and the inferred tectonic fabric of the oceanic crust on which the arc is founded. A generalised model of the regional stress field that controls dyke intrusion outside of the immediate vicinity of central volcanic vents is proposed, in which the maximum horizontal stress parallels the volcanic front except in the northern segment where subduction of the Barracuda Rise perturbs the stress field. There is also evidence of specific temporal changes in the stress field that are probably due to large scale plate kinematics.     

Rupture and delamination of arc crust rupture and delamination of island arc crust due to the arc–arc collision in the South Fossa Magna, central Japan

Three collisional cycles, the Tanzawa, Izu and Shichito, are known to have occurred in the South Fossa Magna, central Japan, since the late Miocene, based on geologic evidence. The cycles consist of six stages. At present the South Fossa Magna is in the later part of stage 5 of the Izu Cycle and stage 2 of the Shichito Cycle. Because the collisional processes are ongoing we can observe, measure and correlate them with the geologic records of the former cycles. The collisional processes are progressing intermittently because of the rupture and deformation of the collided and colliding island arc crusts. Rupture in the subducting crust can be explained by the geometry of the subducting plate along a boundary that is not straight. The delamination of the upper crust is detected from the geologic and crustal structure in the collided Tanzawa Block; it is an important factor in the deformation of the crust.     

Lateral variation of differential stress in the uppermost mantle across the island arc of southwest Japan

The dislocation density and the subgrain size of olivine in peridotite xenoliths in southwest Japan were investigated in order to draw out the lateral variation of the differential stress in the upper mantle of the island arc. Alkali basaltic and andesitic dykes including peridotite xenoliths of Dogo, Kikuma, and Shingu are situated about 200 km behind the Nankai Trough, and those of Oki-Dogo and Takashima located at the portions 400–500 km apart from the trough. The mean dislocation densities of olivine are 2 × 10⁶ cm^?2 for Oki-Dogo, 8 × 10⁶ cm^?2 for Takashima, 1 × 10⁷ cm^?2 for Hamada, 5 × 10⁷ cm^?2 for Aratoyama, 4 × 10⁷ cm^?2 for Kikuma, 3 × 10⁷ cm^?2 for Dogo, and 5 × 10⁶ cm^?2 for Shingu peridotites.It is concluded that the differential stress is high in the uppermost mantle beneath the island arc and low in the back-arc and the mantle wedge behind the plate boundary. The lateral variation of stress may be due to the diapiric upwelling of upper mantle materials under the island arc. The size of the diapir is suggested to be 200 km in width and 60–150 km in depth.     

Comment on “the troodos ophiolitic complex was probably formed in an island arc”, by A. Miyashiro

The use of bulk chemical analyses from the Troodos complex to determine the chemical affinity of the ophiolites is unjustified since these rocks exhibit conspicuous alteration in thin section. Very similar rocks on mainland Greece can be shown, on mineralogical grounds, to have been mainly tholeiitic originally, with a subordinate alkaline trend. This is compatible with their origin at an oceanic ridge. Regional geological evidence provides strong support for this origin. However, bulk chemical analyses from them could be used, like those from Troodos, to argue against a mid-ocean ridge origin. This suggests that the use of bulk chemical analyses from these rocks is very unreliable. In the presence of other, more reliable data, inferences from bulk chemistry can be rejected. The Troodos ophiolites are very similar, in both petrology and geological position, to those in Greece and probably originated in the same way.     

The identification and diagnostics of active and potentially active volcanic features in the Kuril-Kamchatka island arc and the Commander Islands link of the Aleutian arc

We consider the identification and diagnostics of active and potentially active volcanic features (regional zones of cinder cones, fields sheet volcanism, fields of concentrated multivent extrusive volcanism, calderas, and underwater eruption centers in the sea) in the Kuril-Kamchatka island arc and in the Commander Islands link of the Aleutian island arc, as well as the condition of this region as of late 2007. We have identified and examined three periods in the research of active and potentially active volcanic features in the region: the early (1697–1934), the new (1935–1962), and the most recent, still in progress (1963 until today). We provide a new definition of the term “active volcano,” which is scientifically well-grounded, for the first time here. We present modified (compared with those available until now) catalogs of active and potentially active volcanic forms in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. For typical multieruption volcanoes now in phase I (the active) and II (the passive) of their evolution, we provide long-term forecasts of the character and parameters of future eruptions and the associated volcanic hazard.