Drastic shift in lava geochemistry in the volcanic-front to rear-arc region of the Southern Kamchatkan subduction zone: Evidence for the transition from slab surface dehydration to sediment melting

Abstract

The shift of lava geochemistry between volcanic front to rear-arc volcanoes in active subduction zones is a widespread phenomenon. It is somehow linked to an increase of the slab surface depth of the subducting oceanic lithosphere and increasing thickness of the mantle wedge and new constraints for its causes may improve our understanding of magma generation and element recycling in subduction zones in general. As a case study, this paper focuses on the geochemical composition of lavas from two adjacent volcanic centres from the volcanic front (VF) to rear-arc (RA) transition of the Southern Kamchatkan subduction zone, with the aim to examine whether the shift in lava geochemistry is associated with processes in the mantle wedge or in the subducted oceanic lithosphere or both. The trace element and O–Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb (double-spike)-isotopic composition of the mafic Mutnovsky (VF) and Gorely (RA) lavas in conjunction with geochemical modelling provides constraints for the degree of partial melting in the mantle wedge and the nature of their slab components. Degrees of partial melting are inferred to be significantly higher beneath Mutnovsky (∼18%) than Gorely (∼10%). The Mutnovsky (VF) slab component is dominated by hydrous fluids, derived from subducted sediments and altered oceanic crust, eventually containing minor but variable amounts of sediment melts. The composition of the Gorely slab component strongly points to a hydrous silicate melt, most likely mainly stemming from subducted sediments, although additional fluid-contribution from the underlying altered oceanic crust (AOC) is likely. Moreover, the Hf–Nd-isotope data combined with geochemical modelling suggest progressive break-down of accessory zircon in the melting metasediments. Therefore, the drastic VF to RA shift in basalt chemistry mainly arises from the transition of the nature of the slab component (from hydrous fluid to melt) in conjunction with decreasing degrees of partial melting within ∼15 km across-arc. Finally, systematic variations of key inter-element with high-precision Pb-isotope ratios provide geochemical evidence for a pollution of the Mutnovsky mantle source with Gorely melt components but not vice versa, most likely resulting from trench-ward mantle wedge corner flow. We also present a geodynamic model integrating the location of the Mutnovsky and Gorely volcanic centres and their lava geochemistry with the recently proposed thermal structure of the southern Kamchatkan arc and constraints about phase equilibria in subducted sediments and AOC. Herein, the slab surface hosting the subducted sediments suffers a transition from dehydration to melting above a continuously dehydrating layer of AOC. Wider implications of this study are that an onset of (flush-) sediment melting may ultimately be the main trigger for the VF to RA transition of lava geochemistry in subduction zones.