Description: It is a longstanding observation that the frequency of volcanism periodically changes at times of global climate change. The existence of causal links between volcanism and Earth's climate remains highly controversial, partly because most related studies only cover one glacial cycle. Longer records are available from marine sediment profiles in which the distribution of tephras records frequency changes of explosive arc volcanism with high resolution and time precision. Here we show that tephras of IODP Hole U1437B (northwest Pacific) record a cyclicity of explosive volcanism within the last 1.1 Myr. A spectral analysis of the dataset yields a statistically significant spectral peak at the similar to 100 kyr period, which dominates the global climate cycles since the Middle Pleistocene. A time-domain analysis of the entire eruption and delta O-18 record of benthic foraminifera as climate/sea level proxy shows that volcanism peaks after the glacial maximum and similar to 13 +/- 2 kyr before the delta O-18 minimum right at the glacial/interglacial transition. The correlation is especially good for the last 0.7 Myr. For the period 0.7-1.1 Ma, during the Middle Pleistocene Transition (MPT), the correlation is weaker, since the 100 kyr periodicity in the delta O-18 record diminishes, while the tephra record maintains its strong 100 kyr periodicity.

Description: The 1Myr tephra records of IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program) Holes U1436A and U1437B in the Izu-Bonin fore- and reararc were investigated in order to assess provenance and eruptive volumes, respectively. In total, 304 tephra samples were examined and 260 primary tephra layers were identified. Tephra provenance was determined by means of major and trace element compositions of glass shards and distinguished between Japan and Izu-Bonin arc origin of the tephra layers. A total of 33 marine tephra compositions were correlated to the Japan arc and 227 to the Izu arc. Twenty marine tephra layers were correlated between the two drilling sites. Additionally, we defined eleven correlations of marine tephra deposits to major widespread Japanese eruptions; from the 1.05Ma Shishimuta-Pink Tephra to the 30ka Aira-Tn Tephra, both from Kyushu Island. These eruptions provide independent time markers within the sediment record and six correlations were used to date tephra layers from Japan in Hole U1436A to establish an alternative age model for this hole. Furthermore, the minimum distal tephra volumes of all detected events were calculated, which enabled the comparison of the tephra volumes that derived from the Japan and the Izu-Bonin arcs. For some of the major Japanese eruptions these are the first volume estimations that also include distal deposits. All of the Japanese tephras derived from events with eruption magnitude Mv≥5.6 and three of the investigated eruptions reach magnitudes Mv≥7. Volcanic events of the Izu-Bonin arc have mostly eruption magnitudes Mv≤5.

Description: [1] Volcanic glasses contained in distal fallout tephras from the Izu arc volcanic front (Izu VF) provide unique perspectives on general problems of arc volcanism. Unlike cogenetic lavas, these glasses are liquid compositions where element concentrations as well as ratios have significance. Isotopic evidence and previous work show that there is no sediment melt contribution to the sources of the Izu VF tephras, and hence their trace element characteristics permit determination of the trace element contents of slab fluids. The slab fluid is a composite of metasediment (∼5% of total fluid) and metabasalt (∼95%) component fluids, and carries large ion lithophile elements (LILE) with high LILE/Th and LILE/U, and low Th and U relative to source. Except for Sr and K, the metabasalt fluid is much less enriched than the metasediment fluid, but its large relative proportions make it an important carrier of many trace elements. The metabasalt fluid has the characteristics of the arc trace element signature, obviating the need for ubiquitous involvement of sediment in arc magma genesis. The fluid component in the tephras is remarkably constant in composition over fifteen million years, and hence appears to be a robust composition that may be applicable to other convergent margins. Assuming that the metabasalt fluid is a common component, and that distribution coefficients between sediment and fluid are similar from one arc to another, composite fluid compositions can be estimated for other arcs. Differences from this composition then would likely result from a sediment melt component. Comparison to arcs with sediment melt components in their source (Marianas, eastern Aleutians) shows that partial sediment melts may be so enriched, that they can completely mask the signature of the comingling slab fluids. Hence sediment melts can easily dominate the trace element and isotopic signature of many convergent margins. Since sediment melts inherit the LILE/LILE ratios of the trench sediment, Earth's surface processes must eventually influence the compositional diversity of arcs.

Description: [1] Very rare, halogen-rich andesite melt inclusions (HRA) in bytownitic plagioclase phenocrysts (An89–90) from tephra fallout of the Izu arc volcanic front (Izu VF) provide new insights into the processes of fluid release from slab trenchward to the volcanic front in a cool subduction zone. These HRA are markedly enriched in Cl, F and Li - by factors of up to 8 (Cl, F) and 1.5 (Li) - but indistinguishable with respect to the fluid-mobile large-ion lithophile elements (LILE; K, Sr, Rb, Cs, Ba, Pb, U), rare earths (REE) or high field strength elements (HFSE) from the low-K tholeiitic magmas of the Izu VF. We suggest that the chemical signature of the HRA reflects the presence of a fluid in the mantle source that originated from the serpentinized mantle peridotite above the metacrust. This “wedge serpentinite” presumably formed by fluid infiltration beneath the forearc and was subsequently down-dragged with the slab to arc front depths. The combined evidence from the Izu VF (∼110 km above slab) and the outer forearc serpentinite seamounts (∼25 to 30 km above slab) suggests that the slab flux of B and Cl is highest beneath the forearc, and decreases with increasing slab depths. In contrast, the slab flux of Li is minor beneath the forearc, but increases with depth. Fluorine may behave similarly to Li, whereas the fluid-mobile LILE appear to be largely retained in the slab trenchward from the Izu VF. Consequently, the chemical signatures of both Izu trench sediments and basaltic rocks appear preserved until arc front depths.

Description: We studied the systematics of Cl, F and H2O in Izu arc front volcanic rocks using basaltic through rhyolitic glass shards and melt inclusions (Izu glasses) from Oligocene to Quaternary distal fallout tephra. These glasses are low-K basalts to rhyolites that are equivalent to the Quaternary lavas of the Izu arc front (Izu VF). Most of the Izu glasses have Cl ∼400–4000 ppm and F ∼70–400 ppm (normal-group glasses). Rare andesitic melt inclusions (halogen-rich andesites; HRA) have very high abundances of Cl (∼6600–8600 ppm) and F (∼780–910 ppm), but their contents of incompatible large ion lithophile elements (LILE) are similar to the normal-group glasses. The preeruptive H2O of basalt to andesite melt inclusions in plagioclase is estimated to range from ∼2 to ∼10 wt% H2O. The Izu magmas should be undersaturated in H2O and the halogens at their preferred levels of crystallization in the middle to lower crust (∼3 to ∼11 kbar, ∼820° to ∼1200°C). A substantial portion of the original H2O is lost due to degassing during the final ascent to surface. By contrast, halogen loss is minor, except for loss of Cl from siliceous dacitic and rhyolitic compositions. The behavior of Cl, F and H2O in undegassed melts resembles the fluid mobile LILE (e.g.; K, Rb, Cs, Ba, U, Pb, Li). Most of the Cl (〉99%), H2O (〉95%) and F (〉53%) in the Izu VF melts appear to originate from the subducting slab. At arc front depths, the slab fluid contains Cl = 0.94 ± 0.25 wt%, F = 990 ± 270 ppm and H2O = 25 ± 7 wt%. If the subducting sediment and the altered basaltic crust were the only slab sources, then the subducted Cl appears to be almost entirely recycled at the Izu arc (∼77–129%). Conversely, H2O (∼13–22% recycled at arc) and F (∼4–6% recycled) must be either lost during shallow subduction or retained in the slab to greater depths. If a seawater-impregnated serpentinite layer below the basaltic crust were an additional source of Cl and H2O, the calculated percentage of Cl and H2O recycled at arc would be lower. Extrapolating the Izu data to the total length of global arcs (∼37,000 km), the global arc outflux of fluid-recycled Cl and H2O at subduction zones amounts to Cl ∼2.9–3.8 × 1012 g/yr and H2O ∼0.7–1.0 × 1014 g/yr, respectively—comparable to previous estimates. Further, we obtain a first estimate of global arc outflux of fluid-recycled F of ∼0.3–0.4 × 1012g/yr. Despite the inherent uncertainties, our results support models suggesting that the slab becomes strongly depleted in Cl and H2O in subduction zones. In contrast, much of the subducted F appears to be returned to the deep mantle, implying efficient fractionation of Cl and H2O from F during the subduction process. However, if slab devolatilization produces slab fluids with high Cl/F (∼9.5), slab melting will still produce components with low Cl/F ratios (∼0.9), similar to those characteristic of the upper continental crust (Cl/F ∼0.3–0.9).

Description: IODP Expedition 350 was the first to be drilled in the rear part of the Izu-Bonin, although several sites had been drilled in the arc axis to fore-arc region; the scientific objective was to understand the evolution of the Izu rear arc, by drilling a deep-water volcaniclastic section with a long temporal record (Site U1437). The Izu rear arc is dominated by a series of basaltic to dacitic seamount chains up to ~100-km long roughly perpendicular to the arc front. Dredge samples from these are geochemically distinct from arc front rocks, and drilling was undertaken to understand this arc asymmetry. Site U1437 lies in an ~20-km-wide basin between two rear arc seamount chains, ~90-km west of the arc front, and was drilled to 1804 m below the sea floor (mbsf) with excellent recovery. We expected to drill a volcaniclastic apron, but the section is much more mud-rich than expected (~60%), and the remaining fraction of the section is much finer-grained than predicted from its position within the Izu arc, composed half of ashes/tuffs, and half of lapilli tuffs of fine grain size (clasts 〈3 cm). Volcanic blocks (〉6.4 cm) are only sparsely scattered through the lowermost 25% of the section, and only one igneous unit was encountered, a rhyolite peperite intrusion at ~1390 mbsf. The lowest biostratigaphic datum is at 867 mbsf (~6.5 Ma), the lowest palaeomagnetic datum is at ~1300 mbsf (~9 Ma), and the rhyolite peperite at ~1390 mbsf has yielded a U–Pb zircon concordia intercept age of (13.6 + 1.6/−1.7) Ma. Both arc front and rear arc sources contributed to the fine-grained (distal) tephras of the upper 1320 m, but the coarse-grained (proximal) volcaniclastics in the lowest 25% of the section are geochemically similar to the arc front, suggesting arc asymmetry is not recorded in rocks older than ~13 Ma.