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

Nature Geoscience volume 8, pages 728–733 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

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.

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Figure 1: Location of the Amami Sankaku Basin and the Kyushu–Palau Ridge.
Figure 2: Detailed bathymetry of the Amami Sankaku Basin, IODP Site U1438, and seismic survey lines.
Figure 3: Graphic lithologic summary, biostratigraphic- and palaeomagnetic-based age–depth plot for IODP Site U1438.
Figure 4: Comparative geochemical plots of mid-ocean ridge and subduction-related basalts.

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Acknowledgements

This research used samples and data provided by the International Ocean Discovery Program. We thank the USIO staff and the SIEM Offshore crew for their invaluable assistance and skill during the Expedition. Funding was provided by the Australian Research Council and the ANZIC office to R.J.A. Additional funding was provided to M.H.A. by the Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia, and to A.N.B.-M. by Fugro AG. We gratefully acknowledge the initial inspiration and ongoing advice of Brian Taylor and the drilling proposal proponents, whose efforts led to IODP Expedition 351. We thank Sherm Bloomer and Brian Taylor for their highly constructive comments and suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

    Richard J. Arculus & Philipp A. Brandl

  2. Geological Survey of Japan/AIST, Central 7 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan

    Osamu Ishizuka

  3. Research and Development Center for Ocean Drilling Science, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, Japan

    Osamu Ishizuka

  4. International Ocean Discovery Program, Texas A&M University, 1000 Discovery Drive, College Station, Texas 77845-9547, USA

    Kara A. Bogus

  5. Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 2520-21, Pasadena, California 91125, USA

    Michael Gurnis

  6. Earth and Environment Department, Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus, AHC5-394, Miami, Florida 33199, USA

    Rosemary Hickey-Vargas

  7. Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, 108 Carraway Building, Woodward Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-0001, USA

    Mohammed H. Aljahdali

  8. Center for Energy Geoscience, School of Earth and Environment, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia

    Alexandre N. Bandini-Maeder

  9. Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University, 723 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA

    Andrew P. Barth

  10. Geozentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossgarten 5, 91054 Erlangen, Germany

    Philipp A. Brandl

  11. Borehole Research Group, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, PO Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964, USA

    Laureen Drab

  12. Technological Institute of Micropaleontology, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Bloco 6K, Avenue Unisinos, 950-B Cristo Rei, Sao Leopoldo 93022, Brazil

    Rodrigo do Monte Guerra

  13. Department of Solid Earth Geochemistry, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, Japan

    Morihisa Hamada

  14. Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China

    Fuqing Jiang

  15. College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan

    Kyoko Kanayama & Yuki Kusano

  16. School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

    Sev Kender

  17. British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK

    Sev Kender

  18. Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, Guangzhou 510640, China

    He Li

  19. Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 56 College Road, 214 James Hall, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA

    Lorne C. Loudin

  20. Institute of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 17, Utrecht 3584, The Netherlands

    Marco Maffione

  21. Department of Geological Sciences, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California 91330-8266, USA

    Kathleen M. Marsaglia

  22. Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Geopolis, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland

    Anders McCarthy

  23. School of Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia

    Sebastién Meffre

  24. School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK

    Antony Morris

  25. Institut für Geophysik und Extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Medelssohnstrasse 3, Braunschweig 38106, Germany

    Martin Neuhaus

  26. School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

    Ivan P. Savov

  27. Geosciences Department/CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitario Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

    Clara Sena

  28. College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, 104 CEOAS Administration Building, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA

    Frank J. Tepley III

  29. School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

    Cees van der Land

  30. Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, 710 Sumter Street, EWSC617, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA

    Gene M. Yogodzinski

  31. Earth Sciences, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China

    Zhaohui Zhang

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  1. Richard J. Arculus
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Contributions

All co-authors were participants on IODP Expedition 351 and participated in generating the data published herein, the data analysis and interpretation, and contributed to the writing of this manuscript. Specifically: R.J.A., O.I. and K.A.B. planned and implemented the expedition; A.P.B., P.A.B., R.H.-V., F.J., K.K., Y.K., H.L., K.M.M., A.McCarthy, S.M., I.P.S., F.J.T.III and G.M.Y. generated the lithologic data; M.H.J., A.N.B.-M., R.d.M.G. and S.K. performed the biostratigraphy; M.M. and A.Morris performed the magnetostratigraphy; L.D., M.G., M.H. and M.N. calculated the thermal age of basement; and L.C.L., C.S., C.v.d.L. and Z.Z. generated the geochemical data.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard J. Arculus.

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Arculus, R., Ishizuka, O., Bogus, K. et al. A record of spontaneous subduction initiation in the Izu–Bonin–Mariana arc. Nature Geosci 8, 728–733 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2515

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