Geochemical contrast between the Sanbagawa psammitic schists (Oboke unit) and the Cretaceous Shimanto sandstones in Shikoku, Southwest Japan and its geologic significance

Abstract A systematic geochemical study of sandstones from the Cretaceous Shimanto Supergroup and psammitic schists from the Oboke unit in Shikoku has been carried out in order to clarify the depositional age of the protoliths of the Oboke psammitic schists. The geochemical data, together with chronological and geologic data, led to the following conclusions. (i) It is inferred that Oboke psammitic schists are metamorphically equivalent to sandstones in the Hiwasa Formation of the Shimanto accretionary complex, deposited in a trench area during the Campanian, in eastern Shikoku. (ii) The protolith attained to maximum metamorphic conditions within 20 million years after the deposition. (iii) The accumulation of a large amount of coarse-grained clastic sediments in the trench area induced offscraping and underplating of the sediments in the subduction zone, forming the Hiwasa Formation and Oboke unit, respectively.     

Thermal modelling in shallow subduction: an application to low P/T metamorphism of the Cretaceous Shimanto Accretionary Complex, Japan

This paper presents the results of numerical modelling to investigate the regional occurrence of prehnite‐bearing metamorphic rocks at shallow levels in subduction zones. The modelling assumes a simple geometrical configuration in which the thermal structure in a prism is controlled by boundary conditions at the top and base of the prism. It is expected that the predominant metamorphic facies in a prism will change with decreasing age of the descending slab. The results of thermal modelling show that the facies boundary between pumpellyite–actinolite and prehnite–actinolite facies (including prehnite–pumpellyite facies) overlaps with an array of P–T conditions in the prism when the age of a descending slab is younger than 10 Myr. This implies that the change of the predominant metamorphic facies from pumpellyite–actinolite to prehnite–actinolite facies will switch drastically. The critical age of the switch depends on subduction parameters. In particular, the critical age of the descending slab is <5 Myr in the case of no shear heating, with a subduction rate of v=75–200 mm y^?1 and subduction angle of θ=5–15°. For shear heating (constant shear stress=30 MPa) with a subduction rate of v=75 mm y^?1 and subduction angle of θ=10° the critical age is 7 Myr. To test this switching behaviour in the development of prehnite–actinolite facies in the prism, petrologic data from the Cretaceous Shimanto Accretionary Complex (CSAC) in Kyushu, Japan were compiled. The regional occurrence and mineral assemblages of prehnite‐bearing metamorphic rocks suggest that the most of CSAC was metamorphosed under prehnite–actinolite facies. This conclusion is consistent with subduction of a young, hot slab, as has been proposed based on other geological observations. This suggests that the regional extent of the prehnite–actinolite facies metamorphic rocks may be a unique evidence for the subduction of a young, hot slab.     

Early Tertiary fluid flow and pressure–temperature conditions in the Shimanto accretionary complex of south-west Japan: constraints from fluid inclusions

The pressure and temperature history of the Tertiary Shimanto belt of south-west Japan has been elucidated by analysing fluids trapped in quartz crystals which grew syn-kinematically along late-stage brittle faults. The samples come from three areas that span the Paleogene exposures on the Muroto Peninsula of Shikoku Island. Applying microthermometric and laser Raman microsampling techniques to coeval water-rich and carbonic fluid inclusions, we have constrained the pressure and temperature conditions that accompanied a widespread and kinematically distinct phase of deformation. The results suggest elevated geothermal gradients during late-stage deformation, conditions that are in disaccord with previous plate reconstructions that have depicted old, thermally mature Pacific crust subducting beneath Eurasia during the early to middle Tertiary. These conditions can most easily be accounted for by including an additional plate boundary in the western Pacific during Paleogene time. Plate reconstructions that include the Kula plate in this region are therefore consistent with our findings. In addition, our results provide clues to the conditions that likely accompany seismogenic deformation at active convergent plate boundaries.     

The youngest blueschist belt in SW Japan: implication for the exhumation of the Cretaceous Sanbagawa high-P/T metamorphic belt

The tectonic evolution of the Northern Shimanto belt, central Shikoku, Japan, was examined based on petrological and geochronological studies in the Oboke area, where mafic schists of the Kawaguchi Formation contain sodic amphibole (magnesioriebeckite). The peak P–T conditions of metamorphism are estimated as 4–4.5 kbar (15–17 km depth), and 240–270 °C based on available phase equilibria and sodic amphibole compositions. These metamorphic conditions are transitional between blueschist, greenschist and pumpellyite–actinolite facies. Phengite K–Ar ages of 64.8 ± 1.4 and 64.4 ± 1.4 Ma were determined for the mafic schists, and 65.0 ± 1.4, 61.4 ± 1.3 and 63.6 ± 1.4 Ma for the pelitic schists. The metamorphic temperatures in the Oboke area are below the closure temperature of the K–Ar phengite system, so the K–Ar ages date the metamorphic peak in the Northern Shimanto belt. In the broad sense of the definition of blueschist facies, the highest‐grade part of the Northern Shimanto belt belongs to the blueschist facies. Our study and those of others identify the following constraints on the possible mechanism that led to the exhumation of the overlying Sanbagawa belt: (i) the Sanbagawa belt is a thin tectonic slice with a structural thickness of 3–4 km; (ii) within the belt, metamorphic conditions varied from 5 to 25 kbar, and 300 to 800 °C, with the grade of metamorphism decreasing symmetrically upward and downward from a structurally intermediate position; and (iii) the Sanbagawa metamorphic rocks were exhumed from ～60 km depth and emplaced onto the Northern Shimanto metamorphic rocks at 15–17 km depth and 240–270 °C. Integration of these results with those of previous geological studies for the Sanbagawa belt suggests that the most probable exhumation mechanism is wedge extrusion.     

The transition from brittle to ductile deformation in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, Japan

The dominant deformation mechanism during the Sambagawa metamorphism changes from brittle to ductile with increasing metamorphic temperature. The magnitude of plastic strains inferred from the shapes of deformed radiolaria in metachert increases sharply across the boundary between the epidote-pumpellyite-actinolite zone and the epidote-actinolite zone. The synmetamorphic crack density of metachert is an indicator of the contemporaneous brittle strain of rocks, and it decreases sharply as the grade reaches the epidote-actinolite zone. Hence, the ratio of the ductile strain to the brittle strain of metachert decreases rapidly across the transition to the epidote-actinolite zone of the Sambagawa metamorphic belt.
The sharp change of the ductile strain magnitude also takes place at the epidote-actinolite grade in the Shimanto metamorphic belt of Japan, an example of the intermediate pressure facies series of metamorphism. It is concluded that the transition from brittle to ductile deformation takes place at about 300-400°C. and is independent of pressure of metamorphism.     

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.     

Provenance of quartzite clasts from the Shimanto belt, southwest Japanese Islands (preliminary report)

The conglomerate including quartzite clasts occurs at various places in Japan. In this paper, the Muro and Nichinan clasts of the Shimanto belt were examined using optical and cathodoluminescence microscopes. Based on the paleogeography of Paleo-Japan before the opening of the Sea of Japan, it is concluded that these quartzite clasts were probably derived from the edge of East Asian continent.