The magmatic plumbing of the submarine Hachijo NW volcanic chain, Hachijojima, Japan: Long‐distance magma transport?

Abstract

Recent geophysical observations on basaltic composite volcanoes in Izu‐Bonin arc reveal the process of long‐distance lateral magma transport within arc crust. To clarify a long‐distance magma transport system of the basaltic arc volcano from geological and petrological aspects, we investigated 20‐km‐long submarine volcanic chains (Hachijo NW chain and Hachijo‐kojima chain) and cones on the northeastern slope (NE edifices) as well as subaerial satellite cones nested Hachijo Nishiyama volcano in the northern Izu arc front. Basalts from Hachijo NW chain have more primitive composition than those from other edifices. The composition of the Hachijo NW chain basalts is controlled by fractional crystallization, while plagioclase accumulation occurred in NE edifices and subaerial satellite cones. Trace element and isotopic characteristics indicate that the same basaltic primary magma is involved in all sections of the volcano. This leads us to consider that magma was transported long distances between the Nishiyama volcano and the Hachijo NW chain. Primitive magma was laterally transported NNW for at least 20 km in the middle to lower crust (10–20 km deep) from Nishiyama volcano with only minimal crustal level modifications and formed Hachijo NW chain. On the other hand, magmas experienced crystal fractionation and accumulation at shallow magma chamber beneath Nishiyama volcano seems to have been transported in a short distance (<5 km) and formed NE trending edifices and subaerial satellite cones. The long‐distance magma transport seems to be controlled by a regional extensional stress regime, while short‐distance transport may be controlled by local stress regime affected by load of main volcanic edifice.