Origin of Diverse Geochemical Signatures in Igneous Rocks from the West Philippine Basin: Implications for Tectonic Models

Abstract

The West Philippine Basin (WPB), formed by seafloor spreading between 60 and 35 Ma, provides an excellent case study of relationships between basin tectonics and magma chemistry. At 48 Ma, the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) arc formed along the basin edge, orthogonal to the active spreading center; thus, WPB development is a key issue for this Margins Subduction Factory focus area. WPB basalts from the main spreading stage are normal to enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) with an Indian Ocean MORB isotopic signature. Basalts from the Benham Rise and locations near the western Central Basin Spreading Center (CBSC) at 50-35 Ma are geochemically identical to oceanic island basalts. Late-stage CBSC basalts (35-26 Ma) are isotopically like main spreading-stage MORB, with widely varying and decoupled trace element enrichments. Based on basalt geochemistry, the WPB could be a trapped fragment of ancient Indian/Tethyan ocean ridge, as proposed in some models for the initiation of the IBM arc, or it could be a back-arc basin, provided plate configurations allowed replenishment of sub-Indian Ocean asthenosphere. Ocean island basalts were formed by decompression melting of an enriched source beneath the western CBSC, mixing with normal MORB sources to form enriched MORB. This was a transitory feature (15 Ma) related to spreading, rather than a deep-seated plume, and probably did not affect the early IBM arc. Magma formed in small, deep-seated batches as the extension waned. That CBSC activity continued for 22 Ma after the initiation of the IBM arc indicates that forces related to an additional subduction system influenced the WPB.