Ancient oceanic crust in island arc lower crust: Evidence from oxygen isotopes in zircons from the Tanzawa Tonalitic Pluton

Abstract

Knowledge of the lithological variability and genesis of island arc crust is important for understanding continental growth. Although the volcanic architecture of island arcs is comparatively well known, the nature of island arc middle- and lower-crust remains uncertain owing to limited exposure. One of the best targets for deciphering the evolution of an island arc system is the Tanzawa Tonalites (4–9Ma), in the intra-oceanic Izu–Bonin–Mariana arc. These tonalities which occupied a mid-crustal position were generated by partial melting of lower crust. To constrain protoliths of the plutonic rocks in the island arc lower crust, in-situ O-isotopic analysis using an IMS-1280 Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer was carried out on 202 zircon grains separated from 4 plutons in the Tanzawa Tonalite. δ18O value of the zircons ranges from 4.1‰ to 5.5‰ and some zircons have δ18O slightly lower than the mantle range. The low zircon δ18O values from the Tanzawa Tonalite suggest that their protoliths involved materials with lower δ18O values than those of the mantle. Hydrothermally altered gabbros in the lower oceanic crust often have lower δ18O values than mantle and can be primary components of arc lower crust. The Tanzawa Tonalite is interpreted to have been formed by partial melting of island arc lower crust. Thus the low δ18O values in zircons from the Tanzawa Tonalites may originate by melting of the hydrothermally altered gabbro. Ancient oceanic crustal material was likely present in the Izu–Bonin–Mariana arc lower crust, at the time of formation of the Tanzawa Tonalites.