University of Tasmania
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

A record of spontaneous subduction initiation in the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 15:57 authored by Arculus, RJ, Ishizuka, O, Bogus, KA, Gurnis, M, Hickey-Vargas, R, Aljahdali, MH, Bandini-Maeder, AN, Barth, AP, Brandl, PA, Drab, L, do Monte Guerra, R, Hamada, M, Jiang, F, Kanayama, K, Kender, S, Kusano, Y, Li, H, Loudin, LC, Maffione, M, Marsaglia, KM, McCarthy, A, Sebastien MeffreSebastien Meffre, Morris, A, Neuhaus, M, Savov, IP, Sena, C, Tepley, FJ, Van Der Land, C, Yogodzinski, GM, Zhang, Z
The initiation of tectonic plate subduction into the mantle is poorly understood. If subduction is induced by the push of a distant mid-ocean ridge or subducted slab pull, we expect compression and uplift of the overriding plate. In contrast, spontaneous subduction initiation, driven by subsidence of dense lithosphere along faults adjacent to buoyant lithosphere, would result in extension and magmatism. The rock record of subduction initiation is typically obscured by younger deposits, so evaluating these possibilities has proved elusive. Here we analyse the geochemical characteristics of igneous basement rocks and overlying sediments, sampled from the Amami Sankaku Basin in the northwest Philippine Sea. The uppermost basement rocks are areally widespread and supplied via dykes. They are similar in composition and age-as constrained by the biostratigraphy of the overlying sediments-to the 52-48-million-year-old basalts in the adjacent Izu-Bonin-Mariana fore-arc. The geochemical characteristics of the basement lavas indicate that a component of subducted lithosphere was involved in their genesis, and the lavas were derived from mantle source rocks that were more melt-depleted than those tapped at mid-ocean ridges. We propose that the basement lavas formed during the inception of Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction in a mode consistent with the spontaneous initiation of subduction.

Funding

Australian and New Zealand Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Consortium

History

Publication title

Nature Geoscience

Volume

8

Issue

9

Pagination

728-733

ISSN

1752-0894

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Place of publication

United Kingdom

Rights statement

© 2015 Macmillan Publishers

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC