Geochemical evolution of the Dras–Kohistan Arc during collision with Eurasia: Evidence from the Ladakh Himalaya, India

Abstract   The Dras 1 Volcanic Formation of the Ladakh Himalaya, India, represents the eastern, upper crustal equivalent of the lower crustal gabbros and mantle peridotites of the Kohistan Arc exposed in Pakistan. Together these form a Cretaceous intraoceanic arc now located within the Indus Suture zone between India and Eurasia. During the Late Cretaceous, the Dras–Kohistan Arc, which was located above a north-dipping subduction zone, collided with the south-facing active margin of Eurasia, resulting in a switch from oceanic to continental arc volcanism. In the present study we analyzed samples from the pre-collisional Dras 1 Volcanic Formation and the postcollisional Kardung Volcanic Formation for a suite of trace elements and Nd isotopes. The Kardung Volcanic Formation shows more pronounced light rare earth element enrichment, higher Th/La and lower ɛ_Nd values compared with the Dras 1 Volcanic Formation. These differences are consistent with an increase in the reworking of the continental crust by sediment subduction through the arc after collision. As little as 20% of the Nd in the Dras 1 Volcanic Formation might be provided by sources such as the Karakoram, while approximately 45% of the Nd in the Kardung Volcanic Formation is from this source. However, even before collision, the Dras–Kohistan Arc shows geochemical evidence for more continental sediment contamination than is seen in modern western Pacific arcs, implying its relative proximity to the Eurasian landmass. Comparison of the lava chemistry in the Dras–Kohistan Arc with that in the forearc turbidites suggests that these sediments are partially postcollisional, Jurutze Formation and not all pre-collisional Nindam Formation. Thus, the Dras–Eurasia collision can be dated as Turonian–Santonian (83.5–93.5 Ma), older than it was previously considered to be, but consistent with radiometric ages from Kohistan.     

Collisional bending of the western Paleo‐Kuril Arc deduced from paleomagnetic analysis and U–Pb age determination

The Paleo‐Kuril Arc in the eastern Hokkaido region of Japan, the westernmost part of the Kuril Arc in the northwestern Pacific region, shows a tectonic bent structure. This has been interpreted, using paleomagnetic data, to be the result of block rotations in the Paleo‐Kuril Arc. To understand the timing and origin of this tectonic bent structure in the Paleo‐Kuril arc‐trench system, paleomagnetic surveys and U–Pb radiometric dating were conducted in the Paleogene Urahoro Group, which is distributed in the Shiranuka‐hill region, eastern Hokkaido. The U–Pb radiometric dating indicated that the Urahoro Group was deposited at approximately 39 Ma. Paleomagnetic analysis of the Urahoro Group suggested that the Shiranuka‐hill region experienced a 28° clockwise rotation with respect to East Asia. The degree of clockwise rotation implied from the Urahoro Group is smaller than that of the underlying Lower Eocene Nemuro Group (62°) but larger than that of the overlying Onbetsu Group (?9°). It is thus suggested that the Shiranuka‐hill region experienced a clockwise rotation of approximately 34° between the deposition of the Nemuro and Urahoro Groups (50–39 Ma), and a 38° clockwise rotation between the deposition of the Urahoro and Onbetsu Groups (39–34 Ma). The origin of the curved tectonic belt of the Paleo‐Kuril Arc was previously explained by the opening of the Kuril Basin after 34 Ma. The age constraint for the rotational motion of the Shiranuka‐hill region in this study contradicts this hypothesis. Consequently, it is suggested that the process of arc–arc collision induced the bent structure of the western Paleo‐Kuril Arc.     

再论印度与亚洲大陆何时何地发生初始碰撞

印度与亚洲大陆碰撞形成了喜马拉雅造山带.该造山带是当今固体地球科学研究的重点和热点,是建立新的大陆动力学理论的最佳天然实验室.印度与亚洲大陆碰撞时限是正确认识和理解该造山带形成与演化、高原隆升的动力学过程等的起点.近南北向陆陆碰撞的最直接证据是碰撞带两侧块体在古纬度上的相互重叠.本文拟通过对相关古地磁资料的分析,结合近年来在拉萨地块南缘林子宗群火山岩和沉积岩夹层上获得的最新古地磁结果,探索当今古地磁数据所限定的印度和亚洲大陆发生初始碰撞的时间和古地理位置.结果表明,拉萨地块林子宗群形成时期(约64~44 Ma)古亚洲大陆最南缘的古地理位置(~10°N)限定了印度与亚洲大陆的初始碰撞最可能发生在65~50 Ma之间;如果以由印度洋海底地形所限定的东冈瓦纳大陆裂解前的印度板块形状为大印度模型,则印度与亚洲大陆的初始碰撞很可能发生在60~55 Ma之间.     

Discovery of Jurassic ammonoids from the Shyok suture zone to the northeast of Chang La Pass, Ladakh, northwest India and its tectonic significance

Abstract   Callovian (late Middle Jurassic) ammonoids Macrocephalites and Jeanneticeras were recovered from the Shyok suture zone, northeast of Chang La Pass, Ladakh, northwest India. They are the first reliable Jurassic fossils and the oldest chronologic data from the Shyok suture zone. The ammonoid-bearing Jurassic strata, newly defined as the Tsoltak Formation, consist largely of terrigenous mudstone with thin sandstone beds and were probably a part of the continental basement to the Cretaceous Ladakh Arc.     

Geochemistry of volcanic glass from Oligocene detrital sediments at DSDP Site 296, Kyushu Palau Ridge: Interpreting the magmatic evolution of the early northern Izu–Bonin–Mariana Island Arc

Understanding the petrologic and geochemical evolution of island arcs is important for interpreting the timing and impacts of subduction and processes leading to the formation of a continental crust. The Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) Arc, western Pacific, is an outstanding location to study arc evolution. The IBM first arc (45–25 Ma) followed a period of forearc basalt and boninite formation associated with subduction initiation (52–45 Ma). In this study, we present new major and trace element data for the IBM first arc from detrital glass shards and clasts from DSDP Site 296, located on the northernmost Kyushu Palau Ridge (KPR). We synthesize these data with published literature for contemporaneous airfall ash and tephra from the Izu–Bonin forearc, dredge and piston core samples from the KPR, and plutonic rocks from the rifted eastern KPR escarpment, locations which lie within or correlate with KPR Segment 1 of Ishizuka, Taylor, Yuasa, and Ohara (2011). Our objective is to test ways in which petrologic and chemical data for diverse igneous materials can be used to construct a complete picture of this section of the Oligocene first arc and to draw conclusions about its evolution. Important findings reveal that widely varying primary magmas formed and differentiated at various depths at this location during this period. Changes in key trace element ratios such as La/Sm, Nb/Yb, and Ba/Th show that mantle sources varied in fertility and in the inputs of subducted sediment and fluids over time and space. Plutonic rocks appear to be related to early K‐poor dacitic liquids represented by glasses sampled both in the forearc and volcanic fronts. An interesting observation is that the variation in magma compositions in this relatively small segment encompasses that inferred for the IBM Arc as a whole, suggesting that sampling is a key factor in inferring temporal, across‐arc, and along‐strike geochemical trends.     

Collision of the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta with the Burma Arc: Implications for earthquake hazard

We take a fresh look at the topography, structure and seismicity of the Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta (GBD)–Burma Arc collision zone in order to reevaluate the nature of the accretionary prism and its seismic potential. The GBD, the world's largest delta, has been built from sediments eroded from the Himalayan collision. These sediments prograded the continental margin of the Indian subcontinent by  400 km, forming a huge sediment pile that is now entering the Burma Arc subduction zone. Subduction of oceanic lithosphere with > 20 km sediment thickness is fueling the growth of an active accretionary prism exposed on land. The prism starts at an apex south of the GBD shelf edge at  18°N and widens northwards to form a broad triangle that may be up to 300 km wide at its northern limit. The front of the prism is blind, buried by the GBD sediments. Thus, the deformation front extends 100 km west of the surface fold belt beneath the Comilla Tract, which is uplifted by 3–4 m relative to the delta. This accretionary prism has the lowest surface slope of any active subduction zone. The gradient of the prism is only  0.1°, rising to  0.5° in the forearc region to the east. This low slope is consistent with the high level of overpressure found in the subsurface, and indicates a very weak detachment. Since its onset, the collision of the GBD and Burma Arc has expanded westward at  2 cm/yr, and propagated southwards at  5 cm/yr. Seismic hazard in the GBD is largely unknown. Intermediate-size earthquakes are associated with surface ruptures and fold growth in the external part of the prism. However, the possibility of large subduction ruptures has not been accounted for, and may be higher than generally believed. Although sediment-clogged systems are thought to not be able to sustain the stresses and strain-weakening behavior required for great earthquakes, some of the largest known earthquakes have occurred in heavily-sedimented subduction zones. A large earthquake in 1762 ruptured  250 km of the southern part of the GBD, suggesting large earthquakes are possible there. A large, but poorly documented earthquake in 1548 damaged population centers at the northern and southern ends of the onshore prism, and is the only known candidate for a rupture of the plate boundary along the subaerial part of the GBD–Burma Arc collision zone.     

Buruanga peninsula and Antique Range: Two contrasting terranes in Northwest Panay,Philippines featuring an arc–continent collision zone

Alternating chert–clastic sequences juxtaposed with limestone blocks, which are units typical of accretionary complexes, constitute the Buruanga peninsula. New lithostratigraphic units are proposed in this study: the Unidos Formation (Jurassic chert sequence), the Saboncogon Formation (Jurassic siliceous mudstone–terrigenous mudstone and quartz‐rich sandstone), the Gibon Formation (Jurassic(?) bedded pelagic limestone), the Libertad Metamorphics (Jurassic–Cretaceous slate, phyllite, and schist) and the Buruanga Formation (Pliocene–Pleistocene reefal limestone). The first three sedimentary sequences in the Buruanga peninsula show close affinity with the ocean plate stratigraphy of the North Palawan terrane in Busuanga Island: Lower–Middle Jurassic chert sequences overlain by Middle–Upper Jurassic clastics, juxtaposed with pelagic limestone. Moreover, the JR5–JR6 (Callovian to Oxfordian) siliceous mudstone of the Saboncogon Formation in the Buruanga peninsula correlates with the JR5–JR6 siliceous mudstone of the Guinlo Formation in the Middle Busuanga Belt. These findings suggest that the Buruanga peninsula may be part of the North Palawan terrane. The rocks of the Buruanga peninsula completely differ from the Middle Miocene basaltic to andesitic pyroclastic and lava flow deposits with reefal limestone and arkosic sandstone of the Antique Range. Thus, the previously suggested boundary between the Palawan microcontinental block and the Philippine Mobile Belt in the central Philippines, which is the suture zone between the Buruanga peninsula and the Antique Range, is confirmed. This boundary is similarly considered as the collision zone between them.     

Correlation between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and precipitation in South‐east Asia and the Pacific region

The relationship between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events versus precipitation anomalies, and the response of seasonal precipitation to El Niño and La Niña events were investigated for 30 basins that represent a range of climatic types throughout South‐east Asia and the Pacific region. The teleconnection between ENSO and the hydroclimate is tested using both parametric and non‐parametric approaches, and the lag correlations between precipitation anomalies versus the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) several months earlier, as well as the coherence between SOI and precipitation anomalies are estimated. The analysis shows that dry conditions tend to be associated with El Niño in the southern zone, and part of the middle zone in the study area. The link between precipitation anomalies and ENSO is statistically significant in the southern zone and part of the middle zone of the study area, but significant correlation was not observed in the northern zone. Patterns of precipitation response may differ widely among basins, and even the response of a given river basin to individual ENSO events also may be changeable. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural features of Panarea volcano in the frame of the Aeolian Arc (Italy): Implications for the 2002–2003 unrest

Panarea, characterized by gas unrest in 2002–2003, is the volcanic island with the least constrained structure in the eastern-central Aeolian Arc (Italy). Based on structural measurements, we define here its deformation pattern relative to the Arc. The main deformations are subvertical extension fractures (63% of data), normal faults (25%) and dikes (12%). The mean orientation of the extension fractures and faults is N38°E, with a mean opening direction of N135° ± 8°, implying extension with a moderate component of dextral shear. These data, matched with those available for Stromboli volcano (pure opening) and Vulcano, Lipari and Salina volcanoes (predominant dextral motions) along the eastern-central Arc, suggest a progressive westward rotation of the extension direction and an increase in the dextral shear. The dextral shear turns into compression in the western arc. The recent unrest at Panarea, coeval to that of nearby Stromboli, may also be explained by the structural context, as both volcanoes lie along the portion of the Arc subject to extension.     

Permian back‐arc extension in central Inner Mongolia,NE China: Elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf–O isotopic constraints from the Linxi high‐MgO diabase dikes

Early Permian (272 ± 2 Ma) diabase dikes from the Linxi area in central Inner Mongolia of NE China have high MgO (10.4 – 12.3 wt%), Cr (301 – 448 ppm) and Ni (167 – 233 ppm) concentrations, and show enrichments in large ion lithophile element (LILE) and light rare earth elements (REE) but depletions in high field strength element (HFSE, e.g., Nb and Ta), with depleted mantle‐type Sr [⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (i) = 0.70315 – 0.70362], Nd [ε_Nd (t) = +6.8 – +7.4], Pb [²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (i) = 18.10 – 18.16] and zircon Hf [ε_Hf (t) = +14.7 – +19.1] isotopic compositions, but slightly higher zircon δ¹⁸O (5.2 – 6.0 ‰ with an average of 5.7 ‰) than normal mantle. The combined geochemical data indicate their derivation from a depleted mantle metasomatized by recycled crustal component. Elemental and isotopic modeling results suggest that the primary magma was produced through 5 % to 10 % melting of a depleted mantle, which contained approximately 1 % sediment fluid released from the subducted paleo‐Asian Ocean. Considering the widespread distribution of contemporaneous mafic rocks across the central Inner Mongolia, which show REE patterns from E‐MORBs to normal MORBs, we propose a petrogenetic link between the Early Permian mafic magmatism and a back‐arc extension in response to northward subduction of the paleo‐Asian Ocean. The Permian mafic magmatism and the new age constraints from the metamorphic and sedimentary records in this area tend to indicate the ultimate closure of the paleo‐Asian Ocean by the end of Paleozoic.     

SHRIMP U–Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Early Cretaceous Nakdong Formation,South East Korea: Timing of initiation of the Gyeongsang Basin and its provenance

To constrain the depositional age of the lowermost Nakdong Formation in the Early Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin, SHRIMP U–Pb age determination was carried out on zircon separates. The U–Pb compositions of detrital zircons from the Nakdong Formation yield a wide range of ages from the Archean to the Cretaceous but show a marked contrast in age distribution according to the geographical locations within the basin. The provenance of the southern Nakdong Formation is dominantly the surrounding Yeongnam Massif, which is composed of Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks and Triassic to Jurassic plutonic rocks, whereas the central to northern Nakdong Formation records significant sediment derivation from the Okcheon Metamorphic Belt, which is distributed to the northwest, in addition to the contribution from the Yeongnam Massif. It is suggested that the maximum depositional age of the Nakdong Formation is ca 127 Ma, based on its youngest detrital zircon age population. The onset of its deposition at 127 Ma coincided with the tectonic inversion in East Asia from a compressional to an extensional geodynamic setting, probably due to the contemporaneous change in the drift direction of the Izanagi Plate and its subsequent oblique subduction.     

New SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages of granitic rocks in the Hida Belt,Japan: Implications for tectonic correlation with Jiamushi massif

Granitoids in the Hida region of Japan encompass two main rock types: younger type‐1 granites and older type‐2 granites. Sensitive high mass‐resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb zircon dating of older type‐2 granites collected from the Tateyama area show similar ages of 245 ± 2 Ma and 248 ± 5 Ma for two gneissose granites, while a significantly younger intrusion age of 197 ± 3 Ma was determined for the younger type‐1 granites collected from the Hayatsukigawa River which belongs to the Okumayama pluton. A felsic gneiss sample (07HI‐3) collected from the right bank of the Hayatsukigawa River yielded multiple complex ages at 330 ± 6 Ma, indicating the timing of the Hida regional tectono‐thermal events that formed the Hida gneisses; 243 ± 8 Ma, representing the timing of intrusion of the augen granite; and 220 Ma, indicating the timing of regional dextral ductile shearing that caused a repeated recrystallization of metamorphic rocks in the study area. Considering the geochronological data, the rock types and assemblages, basement, and Sr–Nd isotopic constraints, we propose that the Hida Belt separated from the Jiamushi massif, which is located in the eastern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.     

Petrogenetic modeling of rock variety in the Khalkhab–Neshveh pluton,NW of Saveh,Iran

The Khalkhab–Neshveh (KN) pluton is a part of Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc and was intruded into a covering of basalt and andesite of Eocene to early Miocene age. It is a medium to high‐K, metaluminous and I‐type pluton ranging in composition from quartz monzogabbro, through quartz monzodiorite, granodiorite, and granite. The KN rocks show subtle differentiation trends strongly controlled by clinopyroxene, plagioclase, hornblende, apatite, and titanite, where most major elements (except K₂O) are negatively correlated with SiO₂; and Al₂O₃, Na₂O, Sr, Eu, and Y define curvilinear trends. Considering three processes of magmatic differentiation including mixing and/or mingling between basaltic and dacitic magmas, gravitational fractional crystallization and in situ crystallization revealed that the latter is the most likely process for the evolution of KN magma. This is supported by the occurrence of all rock types at the same level, the lack of mafic enclaves in the granitoid rocks, the curvilinear trends of Na₂O, Sr, and Eu, and the constant ratios of (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i from quartz monzodiorite to granite (0.70475 and 0.70471, respectively). In situ crystallization took place via accumulation of plagioclase and clinopyroxene phenocrysts and concentration of these phases in the quartz monzogabbro and quartz monzodiorite at the margins of the intrusion at T ≥ 1050°C, and by filter pressing and fractionation of hornblende, plagioclase, and later biotite in the granitoids at T = ～880°C.     

U–Pb ages of granitoids around the Kofu basin: Implications for the Neogene geotectonic evolution of the South Fossa Magna region,central Japan

The Japanese archipelago underwent two arc–arc collisions during the Neogene. Southwest Honshu arc collided with the Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana arc and the northeast Honshu arc collided with the Chishima arc. The complicated geological structure of the South Fossa Magna region has been attributed to the collision between the Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana arc and the southwest Honshu arc. Understanding the geotectonic evolution of this tectonically active region is crucial for delineating the Neogene tectonics of the Japanese archipelago. Many intrusive granitoids occur around the Kofu basin, in the South Fossa Magna region. Although the igneous ages of these granitoids have been mainly estimated through biotite and hornblende K–Ar dating, here, we perform U–Pb dating of zircon to determine the igneous ages more precisely. In most cases, the secondary post‐magmatic overprint on the zircon U–Pb system was minor. Based on our results, we identify four groups of U–Pb ages: ca 15.5 Ma, ca 13 Ma, ca 10.5 Ma, and ca 4 Ma. The Tsuburai pluton belongs to the first group, and its age suggests that the granite formation within the Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana arc dates back to at least 15.5 Ma. The granitoids of the second group intruded into the boundary between the Honshu arc and the ancient Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana arc, suggesting that the arc–arc collision started by ca 13 Ma. As in the case of the Kaikomagatake pluton, the Chino pluton likely corresponds to a granodiorite formed in a rear‐arc setting in parallel with the other granodiorites of the third group. The U–Pb age of the Kogarasu pluton, which belongs to the fourth group, is the same as those of the Tanzawa tonalitic plutons. This might support a syncollisional rapid granitic magma formation in the South Fossa Magna region.     

Response analysis of the Higashi–Kobe Bridge and surrounding soil in the 1995 Hyogoken–Nanbu Earthquake

This paper presents results of observation and analysis of the response of one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world to the Hyogoken–Nanbu (Kobe) Earthquake of 17 January 1995. It is determined that interaction of the foundations of the bridge towers with the supporting soil plays a decisive role in the overall structural behaviour. The key factor governing the changes of the soil properties at this site is pore-water pressure buildup, which results in liquefaction of the saturated surface soil layers under large dynamic loads. Models of the soil and structure are created and initially validated by accurately simulating the system response to a small earthquake. Soil parameters reflecting the pore-water pressure buildup in the strong earthquake are determined by an advanced non-linear effective stress analysis, combining the Ramberg–Osgood model of stress–strain dependence with a pore pressure model based on shear work concept. They are utilized to investigate and simulate the interaction of the foundation and the supporting soil using the program SASSI with the flexible volume substructuring approach. The results show a good agreement with the observations and have useful implications to the scientific and engineering practice. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

U–Pb zircon geochronology of the Daraban leucogranite,Mawat ophiolite,Northeastern Iraq: A record of the subduction to collision history for the Arabia–Eurasia plates

The Mawat ophiolite is part of the Mesozoic Neo‐Tethyan ophiolite belt of the Middle East and is located in the Zagros Imbricate Zone of Iraq. It represents fossil fragments of the Neo‐Tethyan oceanic lithosphere within the Alpine collisional system between the Arabian and Eurasia Plates. The first U–Pb zircon dating of the Daraban leucogranite from the Mawat ophiolite provides a ²⁰⁷Pb–²⁰⁶Pb age of 96.8 ± 6.0 Ma. The age is 59.0 ± 6.0 m.y. older than the previously published age of the Daraban leucogranite obtained by ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar muscovite dating method. The U–Pb dating of magmatic zircons collected from the Daraban leucogranite, which intrudes into the Mawat ophiolite, reveals that melting of the pelagic sediment beneath the hot Zagros proto‐ophiolite in an intra‐oceanic arc environment led to anatexis at the subduction front and the generation of granitic melts at 96.8 ± 6.0 Ma, which were emplaced in the overlaying mantle wedge. This process was a response to the initial formation of the Neo‐Tethys ophiolite above a northeast‐dipping intra‐oceanic subduction zone at 96.8 ± 6.0 Ma. Published ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar muscovite dating from the same leucogranite dike yields plateau ages of 37.7 ± 0.3 Ma, reflecting that the age was reset during the Arabia–Eurasia continental collision. Therefore, the bimodal age populations from the granitic intrusion in the Mawat ophiolite preserve a record of the subduction to the collision cycle of the Zagros Orogenic Belt. The 59.0 ± 6.0 m.y. age difference from the Daraban leucogranite represents the duration of the subduction‐collision cycle of the Zagros Orogenic Belt in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and the time span for the closure of the Neo‐Tethys Ocean along the northern margin of the Arabian plate.     

An easily implemented agro-hydrological procedure with dynamic root simulation for water transfer in the crop–soil system: Validation and application

Models for water transfer in the crop–soil system are key components of agro-hydrological models for irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide practices. Many of the hydrological models for water transfer in the crop–soil system are either too approximate due to oversimplified algorithms or employ complex numerical schemes. In this paper we developed a simple and sufficiently accurate algorithm which can be easily adopted in agro-hydrological models for the simulation of water dynamics. We used a dual crop coefficient approach proposed by the FAO for estimating potential evaporation and transpiration, and a dynamic model for calculating relative root length distribution on a daily basis. In a small time step of 0.001 d, we implemented algorithms separately for actual evaporation, root water uptake and soil water content redistribution by decoupling these processes. The Richards equation describing soil water movement was solved using an integration strategy over the soil layers instead of complex numerical schemes. This drastically simplified the procedures of modeling soil water and led to much shorter computer codes. The validity of the proposed model was tested against data from field experiments on two contrasting soils cropped with wheat. Good agreement was achieved between measurement and simulation of soil water content in various depths collected at intervals during crop growth. This indicates that the model is satisfactory in simulating water transfer in the crop–soil system, and therefore can reliably be adopted in agro-hydrological models. Finally we demonstrated how the developed model could be used to study the effect of changes in the environment such as lowering the groundwater table caused by the construction of a motorway on crop transpiration.     

Comparison of event‐specific rainfall–runoff responses and their controls in contrasting geographic areas

Numerous studies have examined the event‐specific hydrologic response of hillslopes and catchments to rainfall. Knowledge gaps, however, remain regarding the relative influence of different meteorological factors on hydrologic response, the predictability of hydrologic response from site characteristics, or even the best metrics to use to effectively capture the temporal variability of hydrologic response. This study aimed to address those knowledge gaps by focusing on 21 sites with contrasting climate, topography, geology, soil properties, and land cover. High‐frequency rainfall and discharge records were analysed, resulting in the delineation of over 1,600 rainfall–runoff events, which were described using a suite of hydrologic response metrics and meteorological factors. Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques were then applied to synthesize the information conveyed by the computed metrics and factors, notably measures of central tendency and variability, variation partitioning, partial correlations, and principal component analysis. Results showed that some response magnitude metrics generally reported in the literature (e.g., runoff ratio and area‐normalized peak discharge) did not vary significantly among sites. The temporal variability in site‐specific hydrologic response was often attributable to the joint influence of storage‐driven (e.g., total event rainfall and antecedent precipitation) and intensity‐driven (e.g., rainfall intensity and antecedent potential evapotranspiration) meteorological factors. Mean annual temperature and potential evapotranspiration at a given site appeared to be good predictors of hydrologic response timing (e.g., response lag and lag to peak). Response timing metrics, particularly those associated with response initiation, were also identified as the metrics most critical for capturing intrasite response variability. This study therefore contributes to the growing knowledge on event‐specific hydrologic response by highlighting the importance of response timing metrics and intensity‐driven meteorological factors, which are infrequently discussed in the literature. As few correlations were found between physiographic variables and response metrics, more data‐driven studies are recommended to further our understanding of landscape–hydrology interactions.     

Timescale of magma chamber processes revealed by U–Pb ages,trace element contents and morphology of zircons from the Ishizuchi caldera,Southwest Japan Arc

U–Pb geochronology and trace element chemistry of zircons in a microscale analysis were applied to the Ishizuchi caldera in the Outer Zone of Southwest Japan in order to estimate the timescale of the magma process, in particular, the magma differentiation. This caldera is composed mainly of ring fault complexes, major pyroclastic flow deposits, and felsic intrusion including central plutons. Using SHRIMP‐IIe, our new U–Pb zircon ages obtained from the major pyroclastic flow deposits (Tengudake pyroclastic flow deposits), granitic rocks from central plutons (Soushikei granodiorite and Teppoishigawa quartz monzonite), and rhyolite from the outer ring dike (Tenchuseki rhyolite) and the inner ring dike (Bansyodani rhyolite) are 14.80 ±0.11 Ma, 14.56 ±0.10 Ma, 14.53 ±0.12 Ma, 14.55 ±0.11 Ma and 14.21 ±0.19 Ma, respectively. Based on the U–Pb ages, the Hf contents and the REE patterns of the zircons, three stages are recognized in the evolutionary history of the magma chamber beneath the Ishizuchi caldera: (i) climactic Tengudake pyroclastic flow eruption; (ii) Tenchuseki rhyolite intrusion into the outer ring dike and central pluton intrusion; and (iii) Bansyodani rhyolite intrusion in the inner ring dike. These results indicate a magma evolution history of the Ishizuchi caldera system which took at least ca 600 kyr from the climatic caldera‐forming eruption to the post‐caldera intrusions. Our new geochronological data suggest that the Ishizuchi caldera formed as part of the voluminous and episodic magmatism that occurred in the wide zone along the Miocene forearc basin of Southwest Japan during the inception of the young Philippine Sea Plate subduction.     

Depositional age of the Himenoura Group on the Amakusa‐Kamishima area,Kyushu, southwest Japan: Using zircon U–Pb dating of the acidic tuffs

The Upper Cretaceous Himenoura Group in the Amakusa‐Kamishima Island area, southwest Japan is subdivided into the Hinoshima and Amura Formations. In order to determine the numerical depositional age of the formations, zircon U–Pb ages were investigated using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) for acidic tuff samples from the lower part of the Hinoshima Formation and the upper part of the Amura Formation. Although the two samples contain some accidental zircons, the samples have a definite youngest age cluster and their weighted mean ages are 85.4 ± 1.3 and 81.5 ± 1.1 Ma, respectively (errors are 95 % confidence interval). These age data indicate that the Himenoura Group in the Amakusa‐Kamishima Island area was deposited mainly in the early Santonian to early Campanian which is consistent with biostratigraphic ages. Additionally, zircon age distributions of the two tuff samples from the upper part of the Hinoshima Formation do not show a distinct youngest peak of eruption age but characteristics of detrital zircons suggestive of maximum depositional age of the host sediments. These results demonstrate that the mean age of the youngest zircon age cluster of a tuff sample does not always indicate depositional age of the tuff, and statistical evaluation of age data is effective to determine depositional age of a tuff bed using zircon U–Pb ages.