Nature and growth rate of the Northern Izu–Bonin (Ogasawara) arc crust and their implications for continental crust formation

The bulk composition of the continental crust throughout geological history is thought by most previous workers to be andesitic. This assumption of an andesitic bulk composition led to an early hypothesis by 72 ) that the continental crust was created by arc magmatism. This hypothesis for the origin of continental crust was challenged by several authors because: (i) the mean rate of arc crust addition obtained by 50 ) is too small to account for some certain phases of rapid crustal growth; and (ii) the bulk composition of ocean island arcs, the main contributor to the Archean and early Proterozoic crust, is basaltic rather than andesitic ( 4 ; 49 ). New data from the Northern Izu–Bonin arc are presented here which support the 72 ) hypothesis for the origin of the continental crust by andesitic arc magma. A geological interpretation of P wave crustal structure obtained from the Northern Izu–Bonin arc by 66 ) indicates that the arc crust has four distinctive lithologic layers: from top to bottom: (i) a 0.5–2-km-thick layer of basic to intermediate volcaniclastic, lava and hemipelagite (layer A); (ii) a 2–5-km-thick basic to intermediate volcaniclastics, lavas and intrusive layer (layer B); (iii) a 2–7-km-thick layer of felsic (tonalitic) rocks (layer C); and (iv) a 4–7-km-thick layer of mafic igneous rocks (layer D). The chemical composition of the upper and middle part of the northern Izu–Bonin arc is estimated to be similar to the average continental crust by 73 ). The rate of igneous addition of the Northern Izu–Bonin arc since its initial 45-Ma magmatism was calculated as 80 km³/km per million years. This rate of addition is considered to be a reasonable estimate for all arcs in the western Pacific. Using this rate, the global rate of crustal growth is estimated to be 2.96 km³/year which exceeds the average rate of crustal growth since the formation of the Earth (1.76 km³/year). Based on this estimate of continental growth and the previously documented sediment subduction and tectonic erosion rate (1.8 km³/year, 24 ), several examples of growth curves of the continental crust are presented here. These growth curves suggest that at least 50% of the present volume of the continental crust can be explained by arc magmatism. This conclusion indicates that arc magmatism is the most important contributor to the formation of continental crust, especially at the upper crustal level.     

Ceno-Tethyan Jurassic Radiolarian Fauna from the Raskoh Arc, Balochistan, Pakistan

The Raskoh arc is about 250 km long, 40 km wide and trends in ENE direction. The arc is convex towards southeast and terminated by the Chaman transform fault zone towards east. This arc is designated as frontal arc of the Chagai-Raskoh arc system. The Late Cretaceous Kuchakki Volcanic Group is the most widespread and previously considered the oldest unit of the the Raskoh arc followed by sedimentary rock formations including Rakhshani Formation (Paleocene), Kharan Limestone (Early Eocene) and Nauroze Formation (Middle Eocene to Oligocene), Dalbandin Formation (Miocene to Pleistocene), and semi-unconsolidated Subrecent and Recent deposits. The Rakhshani Formation is the most widespread and well-exposed unit of the Raskoh arc. During the present field investigation the Rakhshani forma-tion in the southeastern part of the Raskoh arc, is identified as an accretionary complex, which is designated as Raskoh accretionary complex. The Raskoh accretionary comple is subdivided into three units: (a) Bunap sedimen-tary complex, (b) Charkohan radiolarian chert, and (c) Raskoh ophiolite melange. The Bunap sedimentary complex is farther divided into three tectonostratigraphic units viz., northern, middle and southern. Each unit is bounded by thrust faults, which is usually marked by sheared serpentinites, except northern unit, which has gradational and at places faulted contact with the Kuchakki Volcanic Group. The northern unit is mainly composed of allochthonous fragments and blocks of limestone, sandstone, mudstone and the volcanics in dark gray, greenish gray and bluish gray siliceous flaky shale. At places the shale is metamorphosed into phyllite. This unit is thrust over the middle unit, which exhibits relatively a coherent stratigraphy, represented by greenish gray calcareous flaky shale with intercalation of thin beds and lenticular bodies of mudstone, sandstone and limestone. The middle unit is again thrust over the southern unit, which is mainly composed of large exotic blocks of volcanic rocks, limestone, sand-stone, mudstone and conglomerate embedded in dark gray, greenish gray and bluish gray siliceous flaky shale which is generally moderately argillized. The unit is thrust over the Kharan Limestone. During the present field investigation about 350 meter thick sequence of thin-bedded maroon and green chert intercalated with the siliceous flaky shale of the same colour are discovered within this unit, which is found in the southeastern part of the Ras-koh arc. This chert sequence occurs on the margins of a large exotic block (350m X 3 km) of volcaniclastic rocks of unknown origin, which makes an overturned syncline. This chert sequence is developed on its both limbs and has lower faulted contact with the Bunap sedimentary complex. Two samples collected from this chert sequence yielded radiolarian fauna, which include Parvicingula sp., Laxto-rum sp., Parahsuum cf. simplum, Parahsuum sp., Nassellaria gen. et sp. indet., Hsuum cf. Matsuokai., Archaeo-spongoprunum sp., Nassellaria gen. et sp. indet. and Hagias gen. et sp. indet., Tricolocapsa sp., Hsuum sp., Ris-tola sp., Archaeospongoprunum sp. and Tritrabinate gen. et sp. indet. This radiolarian chert sequence represents the late Early to Middle Jurassic pelagic sediment deposited in Ceno-Tethyan ocean floor; prior to the inception of volcanism in the Raskoh arc and accreted with the arc during Late Cretaceous to Eocene along with the Bunap sedimentary complex of Late Jurassic age.