Research Article| December 01, 2014 From continent to intra-oceanic arc: Zircon xenocrysts record the crustal evolution of the Solomon island arc Simon Tapster; Simon Tapster 1Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK2NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar N.M.W. Roberts; N.M.W. Roberts 2NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M.G. Petterson; M.G. Petterson 1Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A.D. Saunders; A.D. Saunders 1Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar J. Naden J. Naden 3British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2014) 42 (12): 1087–1090. https://doi.org/10.1130/G36033.1 Article history received: 29 Jun 2014 rev-recd: 24 Sep 2014 accepted: 25 Sep 2014 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Simon Tapster, N.M.W. Roberts, M.G. Petterson, A.D. Saunders, J. Naden; From continent to intra-oceanic arc: Zircon xenocrysts record the crustal evolution of the Solomon island arc. Geology 2014;; 42 (12): 1087–1090. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G36033.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The first U-Pb ages from a ca. 26–24 Ma pluton on Guadalcanal, in the intra-oceanic Solomon island arc (southwest Pacific Ocean), reveal Eocene- to Archean-aged zircon xenocrysts. Xenocryst populations at ca. 39–33 Ma and ca. 71–63 Ma correlate with previously obtained ages of supra-subduction magmatism within the arc. A ca. 96 Ma zircon population may be derived from Cretaceous ophiolite basement crust or region-wide continental rift-related magmatism. Xenocryst age populations alternate with periods of oceanic basin formation that fragmented the East Gondwana margin. Early Cretaceous to Archean zircon xenocryst ages imply continental origins and a cryptic source within the arc crust; they may have been introduced by Eocene interaction of a continental fragment with the arc, and concealed by ophiolite obduction. The data demonstrate that continentally derived zircons may be transported thousands of kilometers from their source and added to intra-oceanic arc magmas, a process likely facilitated by cyclical subduction zone advance and retreat. The findings highlight the continuum of arcs that occurs between continental and oceanic end members, and the caution with which zircons should be used to determine the provenance and setting of ancient arc terranes accreted to the continental crust. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.