Genesis of the extremely low-K tonalites from the island arc volcanism

Abstract

The Adachi-Medeshima pumice deposit of the Late Pleistocene age, found in Northeast Japan, contains extremely low-K tonalite fragments, having a wide variation in SiO₂ content but fairly uniform K₂O content (<0.1%). The tonalites coexist with essential dacite fragments. Mineralogical properties of the tonalites are the same as those of the pumice and dacite fragments. Sr isotope ratios of the tonalite, dacite fragments and pumice also fall within a narrow range. By assuming a Rayleigh fractionation model, the concentration of incompatible trace elements in cumulus phases was calculated, and the amounts of major elements were estimated from the fractionation ratios of each mineral and the volume ratio of crystal-liquid. The estimated element abundances of the cumulus phase show a MORB normalized pattern similar to that of the natural tonalite having cumulate textures. Thus, the tonalite represents the cumulus phase precipitated from dacite magma. Equilibrium temperatures and fO₂ of the tonalites, dacite fragments and pumice were estimated from coexisting magnetite-ilmenite pairs at 876°−796° C and −logfO₂ = 9.8–11.9, respectively. The fO₂ is among highest group yet reported. This is a case of extremely low-K tonalite which formed in the island arc system different from the oceanic environments.