The volcanoes of an oceanic arc from origin to destruction: A case from the northern Luzon Arc

Volcanoes were created, grew, uplifted, became dormant or extinct, and were accreted as part of continents during continuous arc–continent collision. Volcanic rocks in Eastern Taiwan’s Coastal Range (CR) are part of the northern Luzon Arc, an oceanic island arc produced by the subduction of the South China Sea Plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. Igneous rocks are characterized by intrusive bodies, lava and pyroclastic flows, and volcaniclastic rocks with minor tephra deposits. Based on volcanic facies associations, Sr–Nd isotopic geochemistry, and the geography of the region, four volcanoes were identified in the CR: Yuemei, Chimei, Chengkuangao, and Tuluanshan. Near-vent facies associations show different degrees of erosion in the volcanic edifices for Chimei, Chengkuangao, and Tuluanshan. Yuemei lacks near-vent rocks, implying that Yuemei’s main volcanic body may have been subducted at the Ryukyu Trench with the northward motion of the Philippine Sea Plate. These data suggest a hypothesis for the evolution of volcanism and geomorphology during arc growth and ensuing arc–continent collision in the northern Luzon Arc, which suggests that these volcanoes were formed from the seafloor, emerging as islands during arc volcanism. They then became dormant or extinct during collision, and finally, were uplifted and accreted by additional collision. The oldest volcano, Yuemei, may have already been subducted into the Ryukyu Trench.