Tectonic incorporation of the upper part of oceanic crust to overriding plate of a convergent margin: An example from the Cretaceous–early Tertiary Mugi Mélange, the Shimanto Belt, Japan

A tectonic mélange exposed on land is examined to reveal relationships between mélange formation, underplating, and deformation mechanisms, focusing on the deformation of basaltic rocks. The studied Mugi Mélange of the Shimanto Belt is composed of a shale matrix surrounding various blocks of sandstone, pelagic sediments, and basalts. The mélange was formed during Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary times in a subduction zone under P–T conditions of 150–200 °C and 6–7 km depth as estimated from vitrinite reflectance and quartz veins fluid inclusions. The mélange represents a range of deformation mechanisms; pressure solution with micro-scale cataclasis in the shale matrix, brittle tension cracking in the blocks, and ubiquitous strong cataclasis in the basal portion of basaltic layers. The cataclastic deformation in the basalts suggests a breakage of a topographic high in the seismogenic depth.     

Characterization of the Mefjell plutonic complex from the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica: Implications for the petrogenesis of Pan-African plutonic rocks of East Gondwanaland

Abstract The Mefjell plutonic complex consists of 500–550‐Ma Pan‐African plutonic rocks, which intrude into the Precambrian crystalline basement in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica, and forms part of the Sør Rondane Suture Zone. The complex comprises syenitic and granitic (mostly monzogranitic) rocks, and is characterized by the presence of iron‐rich hydrous mafic minerals and primary ilmenite, both of which imply its formation at high temperature and under low oxygen fugacity conditions. The syenitic rocks are metaluminous, and are high in alkalis, K₂O/Na₂O, Al₂O₃, FeO_t/(FeO_t + MgO) (0.88–0.98), K/Rb (800–1000), Ga (18–28 p.p.m.), Zr (up to 2100 p.p.m.) and Ba. They also have a low Mg? (Mg/[Mg + Fe²⁺]), Rb, Sr, Nb, Y and F, low to moderate light rare earth element (LREE)/heavy rare earth element (HREE) ratios and positive Eu anomalies in their rare earth element (REE) patterns. The granitic rocks are metaluminous to peraluminous, and have a high Rb content, high Sr/Ba and LREE/HREE ratios, low K/Rb and negative Eu anomalies. Most of the syenitic and granitic rocks have Y/Nb ratios greater than 1.2, and are depleted in Nb, Ti and Sr on the primitive mantle‐normalized spider diagrams, indicating a crustal origin with subduction zone signatures. We interpret both the syenitic and granitic rocks to be derived from an iron‐rich lower crustal source by dehydration melting induced by the heat of mantle‐derived basaltic intrusion, after which they then underwent limited fractional crystallization. The Mefjell plutonic complex has a high Zr content and tectonic discrimination diagram signatures indicative of normal A‐type granitic rocks. Both rock suites may have been generated under the same postorogenic tectonic setting. The Mefjell syenitic rocks are chemically comparable to charnockites in the Gjelsvikjella and western Mühlig‐Hofmannfjella areas of East Antarctica, whereas the granitic rocks are comparable to aluminous A‐type granitic rocks in South India, which were emplaced during formation and evolution of the Gondwanaland supercontinent.     

High-Magnesian Andesite Produced by Two-Stage Magma Mixing: a Case Study from Hachimantai, Northern Honshu, Japan

High-magnesian andesite occurs at Hachimantai, northern Honshu,Japan. Disequilibrium zoning features indicate that the phenocrystminerals were derived from three different magmas. Chemicalcompositions and zoning profiles are accounted for by two-stagemagma mixing: the first mixing occurred between a crystal-freebasalt magma and a more differentiated olivine basalt magma;the second stage occurred by mixing between the resultant ofthe first-stage mixing and a hypersthene–augite andesitemagma. Mass balance of phenocryst crystals shows that end-membercompositions were c. 52·0 wt % SiO₂ and 10·1 wt% MgO for the mafic end-member and 57·0 wt % SiO₂ forthe felsic end-member of the second-stage mixing. Phenocrystminerals of the first-stage mixing end-member indicate the similarityof the end-member composition to that of basalts from nearbyvolcanoes. The counterpart aphyric magma in the first-stagemixing was more magnesian than the estimated mafic end-member.Calculations of the phase equilibria of similar basalts fromnearby volcanoes and comparison of results with previous phaseequilibrium experiments showed that the olivine basalt end-memberof the first stage was hydrous and situated at a depth wherethe pressure was less than 2 kbar. Two-pyroxene thermometryestimates are about 1050°C for the pyroxenes derived fromthe felsic end-member of the second-stage mixing, and about1180°C for groundmass pyroxenes. Crystallization temperaturesof 1170–1230°C are estimated for minerals from themafic end-member of the second-stage mixing based on phase equilibriumcalculations. These similar temperature estimates between thegroundmass and the mafic end-member imply achievement of thermalequilibrium between end-members preceding crystallization. Themagma plumbing system of the eastern Hachimantai is illustratedby a recent volcanic event, involving lateral dike intrusiontoward a pressure source. The encounter of a laterally migratingbasalt dike and an andesite magma chamber triggered the magmamixing that produced the high-magnesian andesite. The modelcan account for the relation between the petrological modeland surface distribution of volcanic rocks. The infrequencyof such mixing-derived high-magnesian andesite stems from therarity of high-magnesian basalt as a potential mixing end-memberin northern Honshu. KEY WORDS: high-magnesian andesite; Hachimantai; Northern Honshu; high-magnesian basalt; two-stage magma mixing     

Formation of Distinct Granitic Magma Batches by Partial Melting of Hybrid Lower Crust in the Izu Arc Collision Zone, Central Japan

The Miocene Kofu Granitic Complex (KGC) occurs in the Izu CollisionZone where the Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) arc has beencolliding with the Honshu arc since the middle Miocene. TheKGC includes rocks ranging in compositions from biotite-bearinggranite (the Shosenkyo and Mizugaki plutons), and hornblende–biotite-bearinggranodiorite, tonalite, quartz-diorite, and granite (the Shiodaira,Sanpo, Hirose and Sasago plutons), to hornblende-bearing tonaliteand trondhjemite (the Ashigawa–Tonogi pluton), indicatingthat it was constructed from multiple intrusions of magma withdifferent bulk chemistry. The Sr-isotopic compositions correctedto sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) zirconages (SrI) suggest that the primary magmas of each pluton wereformed by anatexis of mixed lower crustal sources involvingboth juvenile basalt of the IBM arc and Shimanto sedimentaryrocks of the Honshu arc. After the primary magmas had formed,the individual plutons evolved by crystal fractionation processeswithout significant crustal assimilation or additional mantlecontribution. SHRIMP zircon U–Pb ages in the KGC rangefrom 16·8 to 10·6 Ma and overlap the resumptionof magmatic activity in the IBM and Honshu arcs at c. 17 Maand the onset of IBM arc–Honshu arc collision at c. 15Ma. The age of the granite plutons is closely related to theepisodic activity of arc magmatism and distinct granitic magmabatches could be formed by lower crustal anatexis induced byintrusion of underplated mantle-derived arc magmas. Based onpressures determined with the Al-in-hornblende geobarometer,the KGC magmas intruded into the middle crust. Thus, the KGCcould represent an example of the middle-crust layer indicatedthroughout the IBM arc by 6·0–6·5 km/s seismicvelocities. This granitic middle-crust layer acted buoyantlyduring the IBM arc–Honshu arc collision, leading to accretionof buoyant IBM arc middle crust to the Honshu arc. KEY WORDS: arc–arc collision; crustal anatexis; granite; Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) arc; Izu Collision Zone     

High-pressure transformations of ilmenite to perovskite, and lithium niobate to perovskite in zinc germanate

In-situ X-ray powder diffraction measurements conducted under high pressure confirmed the existence of an unquenchable orthorhombic perovskite in ZnGeO₃. ZnGeO₃ ilmenite transformed into perovskite at 30.0 GPa and 1300±150 K in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell. After releasing the pressure, the lithium niobate phase was recovered as a quenched product. The perovskite was also obtained by recompression of the lithium niobate phase at room temperature under a lower pressure than the equilibrium phase boundary of the ilmenite–perovskite transition. Bulk moduli of ilmenite, lithium niobate, and perovskite phases were calculated on the basis of the refined X-ray diffraction data. The structural relations among these phases are considered in terms of the rotation of GeO₆ octahedra. A slight rotation of the octahedra plays an important role for the transition from lithium niobate to perovskite at ambient temperature. On the other hand, high temperature is needed to rearrange GeO₆ octahedra in the ilmenite–perovskite transition. The correlation of quenchability with rotation angle of GeO₆ octahedra for other germanate perovskites is also discussed.     

Observation of shear zone development in ring-shear apparatus with a transparent shear box

Using a new ring-shear apparatus with a transparent shear box and video image analysis system, drained and undrained speed-controlled tests were conducted on coarse-grained silica sands to study the shear-zone formation process in granular materials. Velocity distribution profiles of grains under shear at various stages in the ring shear tests were observed through processing the video image by the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) program. Shear-zone thickness and type of shear mode (slide-like or flow-like) during shear were observed. Before reaching peak strength in low-speed and drained condition test, a comparatively major part of the sample in the upper shear box showed a velocity distribution profile of structural deformation and dilatancy behavior. After peak strength, the velocity profile changed into a slide-like mode and thereafter showed almost no change. In higher speed tests with drained and undrained conditions, an almost slide-like mode was observed, compared to low-speed test. Apparent shear-zone thicknesses of high-speed tests are thinner than low-speed tests. Unexpectedly, almost no difference was observed in the shear-zone thickness and mode of shear (slide or flow-like) between drained and undrained tests. This study was conducted as part of the International Programme on Landslides (IPL) M101 “Areal prediction of earthquake and rain induced rapid and long-traveling flow phenomena (APERITIF)” of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). These results will contribute to understanding the mechanism of shear-zone development in granular materials as a basic knowledge for disaster risk mitigation of rapid long run-out landslides.     

Failure mechanism in an extremely slow rock slide at Bitchu-Matsuyama castle site (Japan)

One of the specific problems related to historical structures is the fact that they are prone to damage caused by even very small deformations acting over a long period of time, such as creep or extremely small rock displacements. If any damage has already occurred, the determination of the rock slope failure mechanism is one of the prerequisites for successful mitigation technique selection. In this study a medieval castle in central Japan, suffering damage caused by deformation of the rock mass in the subgrade of the castle, was investigated using a combination of field investigation, high-precision monitoring and physical modeling experiments. Using these techniques an attempt to determine the failure mechanism of the rock slope was made. Based on the field investigation a toe-slope failure seemed to be the main triggering factor activating the deformations in the upper slope area, right below the defense walls of the castle. The displacement monitoring of the surface rock blocks revealed a slumping failure with the backward rotational component prevailing over the sliding in the immediate vicinity of the castle wall. This was in accordance with the expectations obtained from the structural analysis of the rock mass carried out during the field investigation. The displacements obtained during the rock block monitoring, especially from the crack gauges, were not sufficient for drawing a satisfactory conclusions about the failure mechanism of the blocks located in the central part of the slope. Therefore, the failure mechanisms of rock blocks inferred from their displacements obtained from the monitoring were correlated with the results of modeling experiments carried out on the scaled slope model. The physical modeling revealed a possibility of toppling failure of rock blocks in the central area of the slope caused mainly by block interlocking, which was supported by the data from surface tilt meters installed additionally in the field. Furthermore, the possibility of the occurrence of forward and backward rock block rotations in the same sliding body at given conditions was supported by the physical modeling experiments.     

Carbon and hydrogen isotope variation of plant biomarkers in a plant-soil system

Stable carbon (δ¹³C) and hydrogen (δD) isotopic compositions of n-alkanes, anteiso-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols, phytol and sterols in raw leaves of Acer argutum and Acer carpinifolium, their fallen leaves, mold and soils from a natural Acer forest were measured in order to: (1) understand isotopic variation of the plant biomarkers in a plant-soil system and (2) evaluate which biomarker is the most effective recorder of soil vegetation. Long-chain (> C₂₄) n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and n-alkanols are gradually enriched in ¹³C up to 12.9‰ (average of 4.3‰) and depleted in D up to 94‰ (average of 55‰) from raw leaves to soils. However, anteiso-alkanes, phytol and sterols show little variation in both δ¹³C (< ± 1‰) and δD (< ± 2‰) from raw leaves to soils. These isotope signatures in a plant-soil system indicate that isoprenoid plant biomarkers such as sterols in soils faithfully preserve the isotopic compositions of dominant higher plants growing on the soils without a diagenetic effect upon the isotopic compositions. In contrast, long-chain n-alkyl molecules in soils undergo specific isotopic modification during biodegradation associated with early diagenesis and/or a significant contribution from heterotrophic reworking.