Mariana Convergent Margin Research Articles

Tectonic and magmatic evolution of the southernmost Mariana convergent margin: Constraints from geochronology and geochemistry of the Challenger Deep sediments

The southernmost Mariana convergent margin (SMCM) is a distinct segment of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) subduction system with unique east-west orientation, however, its nature and tectonic history remains enigmatic. Here, for the first time, we present the detailed geochemical data of detrital minerals and UPb ages of accessory minerals from two sediment samples recovered at the deepest part of Southern Marianna Trench including the Challenger Deep. Detrital magmatic zircon UPb ages can be divided into three groups. Group 1 zircons show a weighted mean age of 50.3 ± 1.2 Ma, contemporary to the published boninites from northern IBM. The εHf(t) of these zircons (11.1–16.4) are also similar to the boninites (12.6–16.8) and volcanic arc rocks (4.2–14.2), but lower than forearc basalts (17.8–22.1), suggesting that these zircons are from boninitic or arc magmatism. The apatite UPb dating obtained a similar age of 55.0 ± 5.5 Ma. Therefore, if they are all from boninites, then subduction initiation magmatism ended at SMCM was likely coeval with northern IBM. Group 2 and Group 3 zircons have εHf(t) values similar to Group 1 zircons, but recorded younger 206Pb/238U ages of 16.8 ± 1.8 Ma and 11.0 ± 0.2 Ma, respectively, which are most likely related to the arc volcanism at West Mariana Ridge (WMR). Additionally, a rutile age of 19.0 ± 0.6 Ma is identified, which is also likely related to WMR. The chemical composition and calculated P-T conditions of clinopyroxenes indicate that they are mainly from the Mariana forearc basalts and arc volcanic rocks. In situ Sr isotopic compositions of plagioclases also show strong affinity to the Mariana forearc basalts and arc volcanic rocks. Therefore, our study indicates that sediments at the deep trench can record the long-term tectonic and magmatic evolution of the convergent margin.

A HIMU-like component in Mariana Convergent Margin magma sources during initial arc rifting revealed by melt inclusions

Compositions of island arc and back-arc basin basalts are often used to trace the recycling of subducted materials. However, the contribution of subducted components to the mantle source during initial arc rifting before back-arc basin spreading is not yet well constrained. The northernmost Mariana arc is ideal for studying this because the transition from rifting to back-arc spreading is happening here. Here we report major and trace element and Pb isotopic compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from lavas erupted during initial rifting at 24°N (NSP-24) and compare them with those in active arc front at 21°N and mature back-arc basin at 18°N. NSP-24 high-K melt inclusions have highly radiogenic Pb compositions and are close to those of the HIMU end-member, suggesting the presence of this component in the magma source. The HIMU-like component may be stored in the over-riding plate and released into arc magma with rifting. HIMU-type seamounts may be subducted elsewhere beneath the Mariana arc, but obvious HIMU-type components appear only in the initial stages of arc rifting due to the low melting degree and being consumed during the process of back-arc spreading.

Two-stage exhumation of high-pressure rocks by corner flow and mud volcanism within an active subduction zone – A case study from serpentinite mud volcanoes along the Mariana convergent margin

During International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 366 cores were recovered from three serpentinite mud volcanoes containing clasts that originate from the subduction-channel along the Philippine Sea Plate – Pacific Plate boundary. The drilled and sampled mud volcanoes (Yinazao, Fantangisña, and Asùt Tesoru) are located at distances of 55 to 72 km from the Mariana Trench. Mafic rock clasts, embedded within a serpentinite mud matrix, from the flanks and summits of both Asùt Tesoru and Fantangisña Seamounts were analyzed for reconstruction of their metamorphic and deformational overprint in order to reveal the tectono-metamorphic conditions at the metamorphic peak within the subduction channel and the subsequent low-grade overprint during exhumation. Several seamounts comprise clasts of lower plate metabasites with different metamorphic overprint (from low-grade sub-greenschist facies to lower blueschist facies). The metabasites are also associated with clasts of fossiliferous carbonates and cherts with different degrees of metamorphic and deformational overprint, that also originated from the Pacific lower Plate. This implies that these rocks were exhumed from different depths within the subduction channel before being regurgitated within a serpentinite mud matrix. The blueschist facies metamorphic rocks, being affected by metamorphic pressures in the range of 11 to 13.8 kbar at minimum, were very likely exhumed from greater depth within the subduction channel before being captured by uprising, localized serpentinite mudflows, indicating evidence that corner flow is actually taking place along the Mariana convergent margin, and that the high-pressure rocks were exhumed by corner flow in an active subduction zone. Final exhumation, however, is related to the embedding of the rocks within a serpentinite mud matrix and the buoyant ascent of serpentinite mudflows along forearc fracture zones extending from the plate boundary to the upper plate sea floor.

Geomorphology and mechanisms of subduction erosion in the sediment-starved Mariana convergent margin

Subduction erosion, commonly occurring in convergent margins, serves as a key mechanism for effective recycling of materials into the deep subduction. Subduction of bathymetric highs is widely recognized as a critical factor of subduction erosion of the forearc. The Mariana margin is an often-cited example of a tectonically erosive zone, with numerous topographic features such as seamounts, ridges, horsts, and grabens. However, few studies have attempted to determine the regional subduction erosion regime. By combining high-resolution bathymetric data and multichannel seismic profiles, this study analyzed the seafloor roughness, forearc taper angle, accretionary prism, and forearc topography to reveal evidence of subduction erosion at the Mariana margin. The subduction of rough seafloor (seamounts, horsts, and grabens) has accelerated the erosion process of the sediment-starved (<1 km) Mariana margin. In addition to causing depressions and landslides on the inner trench slope, this erosive process resulted in a flat forearc topography, which in turn may have induced a steeper forearc slope and taper angle. The arc-trench distance also shows a strong negative correlation with subduction erosion along the Mariana margin. The involvement of fluid inhibits the erosive process by favoring the development of a smooth surface along the plate interface. Our results suggest that tectonic erosion at the Mariana margin is jointly due to three mechanisms: seamount subduction, horst and graben subduction, and hydrofracturing. This integrated erosive process corresponds to a long-term subduction erosion rate of the submerged forearc of 7–8 km3/km/Myr, significantly lower than those calculated along the other global convergent margins.

Bringing the Submarine Mariana Arc and Backarc Basin to Life for Undergraduates and the Public

ABSTRACTThis paper aims to better teach about submarine arc and backarc basin volcanic and hydrothermal activity using the ~1400 km long Mariana convergent margin as an example. Four US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expeditions (2004–2016) equipped with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) have discovered and explored many of submarine volcanoes and associated hydrothermal fields and generated many short (~1 min long) videos about them. Some of these videos would be very useful for teaching about these processes if they were organized and context provided, which is done here. Eighteen short videos about nine sites generated by NOAA are presented and discussed here. These are organized into three categories: volcanic eruptions, magmatic degassing, and hydrothermal activity. Volcanic eruption videos include two about glassy pillow lavas erupted in 2013–2015 and a rare example of a submarine eruption. Four videos about magmatic degassing include an example of sulfur produced by disproportionation of magmatic sulfur dioxide associated with a submarine eruption, two rare examples of molten sulfur lakes, and liquid carbon dioxide venting. Four videos about hydrothermal activity are provided. Suggestions for how this material might be used in the classroom are also given.

Microbial survival mechanisms within serpentinizing Mariana forearc sediments.

Marine deep subsurface sediment is often a microbial environment under energy-limited conditions. However, microbial life has been found to persist and even thrive in deep subsurface environments. The Mariana forearc represents an ideal location for determining how microbial life can withstand extreme conditions including pH 10-12.5 and depleted nutrients. The International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 366 to the Mariana Convergent Margin sampled three serpentinizing seamounts located along the Mariana forearc chain with elevated concentrations of methane, hydrogen, and sulfide. Across all three seamount summits, the most abundant transcripts were for cellular maintenance such as cell wall and membrane repair, and the most abundant metabolic pathways were the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle. At flank samples, sulfur cycling involving taurine assimilation dominated the metatranscriptomes. The in situ activity of these pathways was supported by the detection of their metabolic intermediates. All samples had transcripts from all three domains of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, dominated by Burkholderiales, Deinococcales, and Pseudomonales, as well as the fungal group Opisthokonta. All samples contained transcripts for aerobic methane oxidation (pmoABC) and denitrification (nirKS). The Mariana forearc microbial communities show activity not only consistent with basic survival mechanisms, but also coupled metabolic reactions.

The redox budget of the Mariana subduction zone

Assessing the efficiency of material recycling at convergent margins is critical to constraining the impact of plate tectonic processes on the composition of surface and deep mantle reservoirs on geologic timescales. In particular, oceanic lithosphere bearing oxidized phases such as Fe-oxy-hydroxides, Fe-oxides, serpentine, carbonate, and sulfate minerals, subduct at convergent margins and the infiltration of aqueous fluids and sediment melts from the subducting slab into the mantle beneath arc volcanoes may thus carry oxidized forms of multi-valent elements (e.g., S, Fe, C) and lead to the generation of primitive arc melts that record elevated oxygen fugacities relative to mid-ocean ridge primitive melts. It is unclear, however, how efficiently aqueous fluids and silicate melts transport the oxidized signatures of any given subducting slab into the mantle wedge in a single subduction zone, and how much, if any, of these oxidized phases may be recycled into the deeper mantle. We present a mass balance of Fe3+, S2−, S6+, and C4+, as well as the O2 associated with these species, through the Mariana subduction zone to assess the efficiency of recycling oxidized materials in an end-member type subduction zone, where old oceanic lithosphere and a thick sediment package is subducted. To do this, we report Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of bulk sediments and altered oceanic crust recovered from ODP Site 801 in the western Pacific in order to constrain the bulk Fe3+/ΣFe ratio of the Pacific plate prior to subduction in the Mariana convergent margin. Site 801 sediments have Fe3+/ΣFe ratios >0.69 and the altered oceanic crust (801 Super Composite) has Fe3+/ΣFe of 0.51. Bulk Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of altered oceanic crust at Site 801 increase from 0.14 (pristine Jurassic-aged MORB glass) to 0.78 with increasing extent of alteration. We find that 68–95% of the O2 added to the subducting crust by sedimentation, in situ alteration of basaltic crust on the seafloor, and serpentinization of the mantle lithosphere is not output by Mariana arc or back-arc magmas. This result demonstrates that significant amounts of oxidized materials from Earth's surface are transported into the deeper mantle beyond subduction zones, despite the production of oxidized arc and back-arc basalts, and may contribute to elevated oxygen fugacities recorded by ocean island lavas such as Iceland and Hawaii. This oxygen cycle is likely to have been operating at least for the past 400–800 million years, and potentially for the duration of plate tectonics.

Asthenospheric outflow from the shrinking Philippine Sea Plate: Evidence from Hf–Nd isotopes of southern Mariana lavas

At subduction zones, sinking of the downgoing lithosphere is thought to enable a return flow of asthenospheric mantle around the slab edges, so that the asthenosphere from underneath the slab invades the ambient mantle flowing underneath the volcanic arc and the backarc basin. For instance at the northern end of the Lau Basin, trench retreat and slab rollback enable toroidal return flow of Samoan mantle beneath a transform margin to provide a supply of fresh, undepleted Indian mantle that feeds the backarc spreading center. Questions, however, arise about the sense of mantle flow when plate kinematics predict that the trench is advancing, as seen in the Mariana convergent margin. Does the mantle flow in or does it escape outward through slab tears or gaps? Here, we address the origin and sense of asthenospheric mantle flow supplying the southern Mariana convergent margin, a region of strong extension occurring above the subducting Pacific plate. Does the asthenosphere flow northward, from underneath the Pacific plate and Caroline hotspot through a slab tear or gap, or does it flow outward from the Mariana Trough, which possesses a characteristic Indian Ocean isotopic signature? To address these questions, we integrate geodetic data along with new Hf–Nd isotopic data for fresh basaltic lavas from three tectonic provinces in the southernmost Marianas: the Fina Nagu volcanic complex, the Malaguana–Gadao backarc spreading ridge and the SE Mariana forearc rift. Our results indicate that Indian mantle flows outward and likely escapes through slab tears or gaps to accommodate shrinking of the Philippine Sea plate. We thus predict that asthenospheric flow around the Pacific slab at the southern Mariana Trench is opposite to that predicted by most subduction-driven mantle flow models.

The Fina Nagu volcanic complex: Unusual submarine arc volcanism in the rapidly deforming southern Mariana margin

AbstractIn the Mariana convergent margin, large arc volcanoes disappear south of Guam even though the Pacific plate continues to subduct and instead, small cones scatter on the seafloor. These small cones could form either due to decompression melting accompanying back‐arc extension or flux melting, as expected for arc volcanoes, or as a result of both processes. Here, we report the major, trace, and volatile element compositions, as well as the oxidation state of Fe, in recently dredged, fresh pillow lavas from the Fina Nagu volcanic chain, an unusual alignment of small, closely spaced submarine calderas and cones southwest of Guam. We show that Fina Nagu magmas are the consequence of mantle melting due to infiltrating aqueous fluids and sediment melts sourced from the subducting Pacific plate into a depleted mantle wedge, similar in extent of melting to accepted models for arc melts. Fina Nagu magmas are not as oxidized as magmas elsewhere along the Mariana arc, suggesting that the subduction component responsible for producing arc magmas is either different or not present in the zone of melt generation for Fina Nagu, and that amphibole or serpentine mineral destabilization reactions are key in producing oxidized arc magmas. Individual Fina Nagu volcanic structures are smaller in volume than Mariana arc volcanoes, although the estimated cumulative volume of the volcanic chain is similar to nearby submarine arc volcanoes. We conclude that melt generation under the Fina Nagu chain occurs by similar mechanisms as under Mariana arc volcanoes, but that complex lithospheric deformation in the region distributes the melts among several small edifices that get younger to the northeast.

Assimilating lithosphere and slab history in 4-D Earth models

We develop methods to incorporate paleogeographical constraints into numerical models of mantle convection. Through the solution of the convection equations, the models honor geophysical and geological data near the surface while predicting mantle flow and structure at depth and associated surface deformation. The methods consist of four constraints determined a priori from a plate history model: (1) plate velocities, (2) thermal structure of the lithosphere, (3) thermal structure of slabs in the upper mantle, and (4) velocity of slabs in the upper mantle. These constraints are implemented as temporally- and spatially-dependent conditions that are blended with the solution of the convection equations at each time step. We construct Earth-like regional models with oceanic and continental lithosphere, trench migration, oblique subduction, and asymmetric subduction to test the robustness of the methods by computing the temperature, velocity, and buoyancy flux of the lithosphere and slab. Full sphere convection models demonstrate how the methods can determine the flow associated with specific tectonic environments (e.g., back-arc basins, intraoceanic subduction zones) to address geological questions and compare with independent data, both at present-day and in the geological past (e.g., seismology, residual topography, stratigraphy). Using global models with paleogeographical constraints we demonstrate (1) subduction initiation at the Izu–Bonin–Mariana convergent margin and flat slab subduction beneath North America, (2) enhanced correlation of model slabs and fast anomalies in seismic tomography beneath North and South America, and (3) comparable amplitude of dynamic and residual topography in addition to improved spatial correlation of dynamic and residual topography lows.

Seismic evidence for widespread serpentinized forearc mantle along the Mariana convergence margin

Seismic imaging of subduction zones can provide constraints on mineral reactions in the slab and surrounding regions. We use P‐to‐S converted phases from teleseisms recorded at broadband stations in the Mariana Islands to image the forearc and arc regions of the Mariana convergent margin. The subducting oceanic crust is observed between 75 and 110 km depth as a thin low velocity zone overlying the subducting Moho, demonstrating that the basalt to eclogite phase transition must occur at a greater depth. A low velocity zone (LVZ), approximately 10−25 km thick, whose upper boundary is imaged at about 40−55 km depth, is detected in the forearc region of the mantle wedge along the entire margin. The anomaly is located too shallow to represent subducted oceanic crust. We interpret the LVZ as a serpentinized region in the forearc mantle, resulting from hydration by slab‐expelled water. The inferred S‐wave velocity in the LVZ of as low as ∼3.6 km/s represents a level of serpentinization of 30−50%, corresponding to a chemically bound water content of about 4−6 wt%.

Shallow slab fluid release across and along the Mariana arc‐basin system: Insights from geochemistry of serpentinized peridotites from the Mariana fore arc

Shallow slab devolatilization is not only witnessed through fluid expulsion at accretionary prisms, but is also evidenced by active serpentinite seamounts in the shallow fore‐arc region of the Mariana convergent margin. Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 195 recovered serpentinized peridotites that present a unique opportunity to study the products of shallow level exchanges between the upper mantle and slab‐derived fluids. Similar to samples recovered during ODP Leg 125, the protoliths of these fore‐arc serpentinized peridotites are mantle harzburgites that have suffered large volume melt extraction (up to 25%) prior to interactions with fluids released from the downgoing Pacific Plate. Samples recovered from both ODP legs 125 and 195 show U‐shaped rare earth element (REE) patterns and very low REE abundances (0.001–0.1 × chondrites). Relative to global depleted mantle values these rocks typically have 1–2 orders of magnitude lower high field strength elements, REE, Th, and U contents. Interestingly, all fore‐arc rocks thus far examined show extreme enrichments of fluid mobile elements (FME: B, As, Cs, Sb, Li). Because the elemental and B, Li, and Sr isotope systematics in these fore‐arc serpentinites point to nonseawater‐related processes, studies of elemental excesses and anomalous isotopic signatures allow assessment of how much of the subducted inventory is lost during the initial subduction process between 10 and 40 km. On the basis of similar but substantial enrichments of FME in the Mariana fore‐arc samples recovered at ODP legs 125 and 195, we report large slab inventory depletions of B (∼75%), Cs (∼25%), As (∼15%), Li (∼15%), and Sb (∼8%); surprisingly low (generally less than 2%) depletions of Rb, Ba, Pb, U, Sr; and no depletions in REE and the high field strength elements (HFSE). Such slab‐metasomatized mantle wedge materials may be dragged to depths of arc magma generation, as proposed by Tatsumi (1986) and Straub and Layne (2002) and thus represent an unexplored class of mantle material, different in its origins, physical properties and geochemical fingerprint from mantle rocks traditionally used in modeling a wide range of subduction zone processes.

Petrology and Geochemistry of West Philippine Basin Basalts and Early Palau–Kyushu Arc Volcanic Clasts from ODP Leg 195, Site 1201D: Implications for the Early History of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc

Site 1201D of Ocean Drilling Program Leg 195 recovered basaltic and volcaniclastic units from the West Philippine Basin that document the earliest history of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana convergent margin. The stratigraphic section recovered at Site 1201D includes 90 m of pillow basalts, representing the West Philippine Basin basement, overlain by 459 m of volcaniclastic turbidites that formed from detritus shed from the Eocene–Oligocene proto-Izu–Bonin– Mariana island arc. Basement basalts are normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-MORB), based on their abundances of immobile trace elements, although fluid-mobile elements are enriched, similar to back-arc basin basalts (BABB). Sr, Nd, Pb and Hf isotopic compositions of the basement basalts are similar to those of basalts from other West Philippine Basin locations, and show an overall Indian Ocean MORB signature, marked by high Pb/Pb for a given 206Pb/204Pb and high 176Hf/177Hf for a given 143Nd/ Nd. Trace element and isotopic differences between the basement and overlying arc-derived volcaniclastics are best explained by the addition of subducted sediment or sediment melt, together with hydrous fluids from subducted oceanic crust, into the mantle source of the arc lavas. In contrast to tectonic models suggesting that a mantle hotspot was a source of heat for the early Izu–Bonin– Mariana arc magmatism, the geochemical data do not support an enriched, ocean island basalt (OIB)-like source for either the basement basalts or the arc volcanic section.

Geochemistry of serpentinized peridotites from the Mariana Forearc Conical Seamount, ODP Leg 125: Implications for the elemental recycling at subduction zones

Recent examinations of the chemical fluxes through convergent plate margins suggest the existence of significant mass imbalances for many key species: only 20–30% of the to‐the‐trench inventory of large‐ion lithophile elements (LILE) can be accounted for by the magmatic outputs of volcanic arcs. Active serpentinite mud volcanism in the shallow forearc region of the Mariana convergent margin presents a unique opportunity to study a new outflux: the products of shallow‐level exchanges between the upper mantle and slab‐derived fluids. ODP Leg 125 recovered serpentinized harzburgites and dunites from three sites on the crests and flanks of the active Conical Seamount. These serpentinites have U‐shaped rare earth element (REE) patterns, resembling those of boninites. U, Th, and the high field strength elements (HFSE) are highly depleted and vary in concentration by up to 2 orders of magnitude. The low U contents and positive Eu anomalies indicate that fluids from the subducting Pacific slab were probably reducing in nature. On the basis of substantial enrichments of fluid‐mobile elements in serpentinized peridotites, we calculated very large slab inventory depletions of B (79%), Cs (32%), Li (18%), As (17%), and Sb (12%). Such highly enriched serpentinized peridotites dragged down to depths of arc magma generation may represent an unexplored reservoir that could help balance the input‐output deficit of these elements as observed by Plank and Langmuir (1993, 1998) and others. Surprisingly, many species thought to be mobile in fluids, such as U, Ba, Rb, and to a lesser extent Sr and Pb, are not enriched in the rocks relative to the depleted mantle peridotites, and we estimate that only 1–2% of these elements leave the subducting slabs at depths of 10 to 40 km. Enrichments of these elements in volcanic front and behind‐the‐front arc lavas point to changes in slab fluid composition at greater depths.

Mantle contamination and the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) ‘high-tide mark’: evidence for mantle extrusion caused by Tethyan closure

Western Pacific basins are characterized by three remarkable attributes: (1) complex kinematic histories linked to global-scale plate interactions; (2) DUPAL-like contaminated mantle; and (3) rapid post-Mesozoic rollback of the confining arc-trench systems. The coincidence of slab steepening, extreme arc curvature, and vigorous basin opening associated with the Mariana convergent margin suggests that rollback continues in response to an east-directed mantle ‘wind’. Against a backdrop of conflicting kinematic and genetic interpretations we explore the notion that eastward asthenospheric flow driven by diachronous Tethyan closure caused stretching of eastern Eurasia and concomitant opening of western Pacific basins. Marking the eastern boundary of the latter, the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc may be regarded as a litho-tectonic ‘high-tide mark’ comprising igneous and metamorphic products from successive episodes (since ca. 45Ma.) of arc sundering and backarc basin opening. The forearc also forms an isotopic boundary separating contaminated western Pacific mantle from the N-MORB Pacific Ocean reservoir. While the isotopic composition of western Pacific mantle resembles that feeding Indian Ocean hotspot and spreading systems, its spatial–temporal variation and the presence of subduction barriers to the south appear to preclude northward flow of Indian Ocean mantle and require an endogenous origin for sub-Eurasian contaminated mantle. It is concluded that the extrusion of Tethyan asthenosphere, contaminated by sub-Asian cratonic lithosphere, was a major cause of western Pacific arc rollback and basin opening. The model is consistent with paleomagnetic and geologic evidence supporting independent kinematic histories for constituent parts of the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates although interpretation of these is speculative. Compounded by effects of the Australia–Indonesia collision, late-Tethyan mantle extrusion appears to have produced the largest DUPAL domain in the northern hemisphere.

Evolution of the Mariana Convergent Plate Margin System

The Mariana convergent plate margin system of the western Pacific provides opportunities for studying the tectonic and geochemical processes of intraoceanic plate subduction without the added complexities of continental geology. The system's relative geologic simplicity and the well‐exposed sections of lithosphere in each of its tectonic provinces permit in situ examination of processes critical to understanding subduction tectonics. Its general history provides analogs to ancient convergent margin terranes exposed on land and helps to explain the chemical mass balance in convergent plate margins. The Mariana convergent margin's long history of sequential formation of volcanic arcs and extensional back arc basins has created a series of volcanic arcs at the eastern edge of the Philippine Sea plate. The trenchward edge of the overriding plate has a relatively sparse sediment cover. Rocks outcropping on the trench's inner slope are typical of the early formed suprasubduction zone's lithosphere and have been subjected to various processes related to its tectonic history. Pervasive forearc faulting has exposed crust and upper mantle lithosphere. Many large serpentinized peridotite seamounts are within 100 km of the trench axis. From these we can learn the history of regional metamorphism and observe and sample active venting of slab fluids. Ocean drilling recovered suprasubduction zone lava sequences erupted since the Eocene that suggest that the forearc region remains volcanologically dynamic. Seismic studies and seafloor mapping show evidence of deformation throughout forearc evolution. Large portions of uplifted southern forearc are exposed at the larger islands. Active volcanoes at the base of the eastern boundary fault of the Mariana Trough vary in size and composition along strike and record regional differences in source composition. Their locations along strike of the arc are controlled in part by cross‐arc structures that also facilitate formation of submarine volcano chains extending from the base of the fault westward into the back arc basin. The western boundary is the West Mariana Ridge, the western portion of the volcanic arc active prior to formation of the Mariana Trough. The trough evolved in a two‐stage extension process of rifting and subsequent seafloor spreading. The back arc basin varies along strike from rifted arc lithosphere with scattered volcanoes but no real spreading center in the north to a complex mid‐ocean‐type spreading center south of 20°N. The change from initial rifting to true seafloor spreading is also evident across the Mariana Trough from rifted topography near the West Mariana Ridge to spreading ridges in the central to eastern basin south of 20°N. This morphologic change indicates an early stage of extension with basin‐and‐range‐type topography predominant and volcanism restricted to fissure eruptions along fault block boundaries. The spreading ridges and abyssal hill morphology evolved later as new lithosphere was generated at elongate volcanic ridges located in the center of rift valleys. The center of extension intersects the active volcanic front differently at either end of the Mariana Trough. In the north, extension is by rifting of arc lithosphere where it intersects the arc. In the south a major strike‐slip fault extends from the trench axis across the forearc, through the volcanic arc, and into the back arc basin. Arc magmas apparently leak along this fault zone into the forearc and the back arc spreading center. The complexity of interrelated tectonism and magmatism in this convergent margin is daunting, but studies of arc systems such as this provide the best hope of interpreting many of the exposed terranes accreted to continents. Comparison of subaerial terranes with recent studies of intraoceanic convergent margins will add to our understanding of plate interactions and of the evolution of the volcanic arcs and extensional back arc basins generated within such environments.