Potassium variation across the New Britain volcanic arc

Late Cainozoic volcanoes of the New Britain island arc overlie an inclined Benioff zone that extends to a depth of at least 580 km. The rocks are tholeiitic basalt, andesite, dacite, and rhyolite. Unlike many other examples of island arcs described in the literature, K₂O contents in rocks with the same SiO₂ content do not increase progressively as depth,h, to the New Britain Benioff zone increases. The most complex relationships between K₂O, SiO₂, andh are shown by volcanoes overlying the deeper part of the Benioff zone. In these, the K₂O contents of rocks containing more than about 60% SiO₂,decrease as depth to the Benioff zone increases. The New Britain volcanic arc provides a striking exception to the generalisation thatK-h relationships are essentially similar in all island arcs.