Yuzo Kato

Geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks from the Okinawa Trough and Ryukyu Arc: Implications for the evolution of a young, intracontinental back arc basin

The Okinawa Trough is an incipient intracontinental back arc basin that has developed behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system. To explore its magmatic evolution and the nature of the mantle source, we present major and trace element and Sr-Nd isotopic data for mafic volcanic rocks from the Middle and Southern Okinawa Trough and the Central Ryukyu Arc. Two episodes of activity formed the latter: older (∼21–13 Ma) and younger (∼6–4 Ma). Although Quaternary basalts from the Middle Okinawa Trough (MOT) have major element compositions comparable to basalts from intra-oceanic back arc basins, they are characterized by relative enrichments of large ion lithophile elements and Pb and by depletions of high field strength elements analogous to those observed in Ryukyu Arc volcanics. Two components have been involved in the generation of MOT basalt, which we identify as an E-MORB type (or oceanic island basalt type) upwelling asthenospheric mantle and a “subduction component.” Quaternary basalts from the Southern Okinawa Trough (SOT) have uniform Nd but heterogeneous Sr isotopic ratios and incompatible trace element compositions. This may be ascribed to more complicated tectonic and magmatic processes in the SOT compared with the MOT, such as oblique subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate and interaction with postcollisional extension in the northern Taiwan orogenic belt. Integrating geological information available from nearby regions, we emphasize that the SOT is an “atypical” back arc basin because its development essentially occurred synchronous with or even prior to development of the arc-trench system.

Geochemical constraints on the origin of bimodal magmatism at the Okinawa Trough, an incipient back-arc basin

Abstract The magmatism at the axial zone of the middle Okinawa Trough, a young continental back-arc basin, comprises a bimodal basaltic-rhyolitic suite, accompanied by minor intermediate rocks. We report major and trace element and Sr-Nd isotopie data for the intermediate to silicic suites, to provide constraints on their petrogenesis. The rhyolites, recovered as lava and pumice, fall into three geochemical groups (type 1, 2, and 3 rhyolites). Type 1 rhyolites have 87Sr/86Sr (0.7040–0.7042) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.5128–0.5129) identical to those of associated basalts, and are characterized by highly fractionated REE patterns. Petrogenesis of type 1 rhyolites is explicable in terms of fractional crystallization of the associated basalt. In contrast, type 2 rhyolites and andesite have slightly higher 87Sr/86Sr (0.7044–0.7047) but similar 143Nd/144Nd (0.5128) compared to those of the basalts. The compositions of type 2 rhyolite and andesite can be explained by assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) processes of the basalt magma; quantitative analysis suggests assimilation/fractional crystallization (Ma/Mc) ratios of ≤ 0.05. Hybrid andesite generated by mixing of evolved basalt and type 1 rhyolite is also present. We emphasize that mechanical extension in this part of the Okinawa Trough involves gabbro ic lower crust that resulted from fractionation of mantle-derived basaltic magmas. Type 3 rhyolite occurs only as pumice, which makes its derivation questionable. This rhyolite has major and trace element compositions and Sr–Nd isotopie ratios, which suggests that it may be derived from volcanic activity on the southern Ryukyu volcanic front, and arrived in the Okinawa Trough by drifting on the Kuroshio Current.