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EPSL ELSEVIER Earth and Planetary Science Letters 150 ( 1997) 29 l-302 Trace element transport rates in subduction zones: evidence from Th, Sr and Pb isotope data for Tonga-Kermadec arc lavas M. Regelous Department *, K.D. Collerson, A. Ewart, J.I. Wendt of Earth Sciences. The lh~i~~er.~it~of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld. 4072. Austmlin Received 3 February 1997; revised 26 May 1997; accepted 12 June 1997 Abstract Trace element and Th, Sr and Pb isotope data for young lavas from the Tonga-Kermadec arc in the southwest Pacific suggest that geochemical variations in the lavas along the arc are linked to differences in the material being subducted beneath the arc. Lavas from the southern (Kermadec) segment of the arc have relatively radiogenic Pb isotope compositions, which reflects a contribution from subducted sediment. In contrast, much of the Pb in Tonga lavas is derived from the altered oceanic crust in the subducting Pacific Plate, and lavas from the northernmost Tonga islands of Tafahi and Niuatoputapu contain Pb and Sr derived from the subducted part of the Louisville Seamount Chain. The origin of the Pb in the lavas from these two islands can thus be traced to a point on the subducting slab, and this observation is used to estimate the rate at which trace elements are transported beneath the arc. Our calculations suggest that fluid-soluble elements such as U, Sr and Pb are transported from the subducted slab, across the mantle wedge and back to the surface in lavas over a period of approximately 2-3 Ma, and that magmas are erupted at the surface less than 350 ka after the melts are generated in the mantle wedge. 6 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. Keywords: island arcs; subduction: isotopes; trace elements; magmas; 1. Introduction Subduction-related magmatism is thought to occur in response to the addition of fluids derived from dehydrating sediments and/or altered oceanic crust in the subducting slab to the sub-arc mantle wedge [l-4]. Fluid-soluble trace elements are transported from the slab into the mantle wedge, and magmas are produced when these fluids reach mantle that is hot enough to melt. However, the rate at which these processes occur are not well understood. Recent * Corresponding author. Fax: [email protected] +61 7 33651277. e-mail: geochemistry studies of subduction-related lavas have used shortlived radionuclides, which have half-lives comparable to the timescales of magmatic processes such as partial melting and magma or fluid transport, to investigate the rates of processes occurring in subduction zones. The presence of cosmic ray-produced “Be in some lavas [5-71 indicates that Be may be transported from the trench, through the mantle wedge and back to the surface in lavas, over a period of less than about 7 Ma. Disequilibrium between U-series isotopes [g-10] implies that magmas are rapidly transferred to the surface; in some cases, less than 8 ka after melt generation. Combined “Be and U-series studies [ 1 1- 131 have yielded conflicting 0012-821X/97/$17.00 0 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII SO0 12-82 I X(97)00 107.6 292 M. Regelous et al. /Earth and Planetary Science Letters 150 (1997) 291-302 estimates of between 20 ka and 6 Ma for the residence time of U, Th and Be in the mantle wedge. These various estimates may reflect real differences in transport times between arcs, or variable transport rates for different elements. Recent studies have shown that although crustallevel contamination may have an important influence on the chemistry of arc lavas (e.g. [14]), variations in the composition of the material being subducted beneath the arc can also play a part in generating chemical variations in the lavas [ 15,161. In this paper, we show that geochemical variations in the chemistry of lavas from the Tonga-Kermadec arc can be linked to differences in the material being subducted beneath the arc. This observation is used to argue that beneath the Tonga-Kermadec arc, fluid-soluble elements such as Pb, U and Sr are transported from the subducted slab to the surface in lavas over a period of about 2-3 Ma. 2. Samples The Tonga-Kermadec arc is an approximately 3000 km long chain of active volcanoes situated in the southwest Pacific to the north of New Zealand (Fig. 1). Volcanism is related to the subduction of the Pacific plate westwards beneath the IndoAustralian plate, at a rate of between about 5 cm/yr in the south of the arc and about 20 cm/yr in the north [ 17,181. The Tonga and Kermadec volcanic chains are separated by a non-volcanic zone, corresponding to the intersection of the trench with the subducting Louisville Seamount Chain, an aseismic ridge on the Pacific plate. Behind the arc, back-arc extension is taking place in the Lau Basin-Havre Trough, and true seafloor spreading initiated in the northern and eastern Lau Basin at about 6 Ma 1191. The intraplate volcanic islands of Samoa are situated on the Pacific plate N 200 km to the north of the northern end of the Tonga trench. We have measured trace element concentrations and Sr, Pb and Th isotope ratios for young volcanic rocks from the arc and the back-arc volcano of Niua fo’ou, and for sediments cored from the subducting Pacific plate. The volcanic rocks analysed include low-K tholeiites, basaltic andesites and dacites [20,21] from the youngest flows on thirteen islands Fig. I. Simplified tectonic map of the Tonga-Kermadec region, showing sample sites, and (inset) location of DSDP/ODP sites from which sediment samples were collected. Islands from which lavas were analysed are: I Niua fo’ou; 2 Tafahi; 3 Niuatoputapu; 4 Fonualei; 5 Late; 6 Metis Shoal; 7 Kao; 8 Tofua; 9 Hunga Ha’apai; 10 Raoul Group; II Macauley; 12 Curtis; 13 L’Esperante. CL.SC, ILSC and ELSC are the Central, Intermediate and Eastern Lau Basin Spreading Centers. along the length of the arc (Table l>, and are representative samples from a larger selection of TongaKermadec lavas analysed by Ewart et al. (submitted). The sediment samples are from DSDP/ODP sites 596, 204 and 275 in the southwest Pacific (Fig. 1). A weighted average for the sediment column at Site 204 was calculated using seven individual analyses (Table 1). 3. Analytical methods Sediment samples were rinsed several times with water in an ultrasonic bath before digestion. For Th analysis of lavas, between 0.1 and 1.0 g of handpicked rock chips were washed in 1 M HCl in ultrasound prior to HF/HNO, digestion and M. Regelous et al./Earth HNO,/HCl dissolution. When larger sample sizes were used (0.8-1.0 g), an initial concentration of Th was made by co-precipitation with iron hydroxide. Th was separated from the rock matrix using conventional anion exchange methods and loaded on the side filament of a triple filament assembly of zoneTable 1 Trace element and isotope data for Tonga-Kermadec lavas and South Pacific sediments 208Pb/ 204Pb U Th Zr Pb 204 pb k 11 18.413 15.602 38493 0.110 0.410 128.1 1.19 0.704342 k 10 18.410 15.585 38.459 O.OY8 0.306 95.8 0.71 1.607 0.704300, 15.619 38.934 0.108 0.703992 0.703833 0.703510+ 0.703919 0.703822 0.703643 13 + 10 k 10 11 + 11 rt 10 * 13 19.306 1.828 2.726 2.852 3.115 2.611 2.373 19.103 18.580 18.505 18.542 18.571 18.562 15.612 15.549 15.516 15.535 15.559 15.567 38.782 38.189 38.090 38.131 38.199 38.214 0.092 0.393 0.273 0.344 0.141 0.251 0.210 0.158 0.452 0.300 0.347 0.169 0.332 11.4 10.5 38.7 29.5 29.8 20.9 36.2 1.17 1.10 3.85 2.18 3.82 2.33 4.53 0.023 0.013 0.015 0.066 0.024 0.021 0.043 0.012 0.022 2.345 2.166 2.628 2.638 1.279 1.360 1.263 1.226 1.122 0.703263 + 0.703337 f 0.703503 + 0.703527 + 0.704122 + 0.703605 + 0.703612 + 0.703384& 0.703469 + 8 11 11 10 9 14 13 13 11 18.622 18.651 18.640 18.649 18.709 18.590 18.633 18.719 18.528 15.570 15.574 15.582 15.584 15.586 15.594 15.578 15.586 15.564 38.236 38.293 38.291 38.308 38.479 38.380 38.373 38.428 38.232 0.149 0.143 0.182 0.128 0.072 0.129 0.103 0.140 0.153 0.199 0.207 0.217 0.153 0.176 0.297 0.254 0.359 0.428 46.0 36.6 33.2 21.5 27.5 39.2 21.1 38.2 24.6 1.96 1.67 2.70 1.80 1.40 2.05 1.75 1.60 1.69 1.127 + 0.008 1.242 0.703705 f 10 18.699 15.589 38.452 0.681 1.720 130 7.12 1.393 + 0.024 1.375 0.703504 + 14 18.671 15.587 38.406 0.061 0.139 15.2 2.66 1.277 + 0.016 1.142 f 0.012 1.027 + 0.016 1.605 2.509 1.089 0.704097 + 10 0.704077 +9 0.704041 f 9 18.739 18.724 38.597 38.615 38.493 0.338 0.574 0.659 68.6 18.696 15.619 15.620 15.587 0.207 0.561 41.8 2.85 0.894 f 0.011 I.156 0.704393 f 10 18.716 15.616 38.575 0.195 0.561 36.0 2.40 0.881 0.707517 18.836 15.679 38.849 1.38 4.90 111.4 18.1 232Th) (238U/ *‘Sr/ 86Sr * Rocktype TlO7 Niua fo’ou Basalt 1.189 + 0.031 a 0.844 0.704181 Tlll (1) Niua fo’ou Basalt 1.140 & 0.021 1.006 T113CP (1) Tafahi (2) B. andesite 1.174 & 0.028 + f + i + 1.824+ 0.014 0.014 0.024 0.018 0.014 0.030 + + + * f f + + f ‘3’Th) Tafahi (2) B. andesite Fonualei (4) Dacite Fonualei (4) Andesite Fonualei (4) Andesite Late (5) B. andesite Metis Shoal Dacite (6) Kao (7) Andesite 64T4C Kao (7) T103C B. andesite Tofua 32 Tofua (8) Dacite Hunga (9) HHTF B. andesite 14775 Raoul (10) B. andesite 14790 Raoul (10) B. andesite Raoul (10) 14796 B. andesite Raoul(10) 23376 B. andesite 10379 Macauley Basalt (11) Macauley Dacite 10384 (11) Macauley 10415 Basalt (11) Curtis (12) B. andesite 14849 Curtis (12) 14864 Andesite L’Esperance B. andesite 14835-l (13) L’Esperance 14840 B. andesite (13) 14840R b L’Esperance B. andesite T114 Fon 8 Fon 30 Fon 31 L21 MG refined Re. Pb was separated using standard chemical techniques, blanks for the entire procedure were < 0.2 ng. All isotope measurements were carried out at the University of Queensland, using a VG Sector 54-30 thermal ionisation mass spectrometer equipped with a Daly ion-counting system and electrostatic 204pb (a3’Th/ Island (see Fig. 1) Sample 293 and Planetary Science Letters 150 (1997) 291-302 1.255 1.756 1.825 2.471 1.878 1.501 I.479 1.705 2.002 0.843 1.609 1.435 1.160 1.087 ao6Pb/ *O’Pb/ 0.921 + 0.022 (13) Site 204 ’ Sediment 0.881 * a Errors are 2~. For Sr isotope analyses, b Analysis of a separate dissolution. error refers to final digits. ’ Weighted mean of the sediment column at ODP Site 204 was calculated from analysis of seven representative sediment samples. This average includes topmost 50 m of sediment, which contains ash from the Tonga arc, and Louisville ash layer at IO+150 m.b.s.f. d ?‘Th/ ‘32Th) for Site 204 sediment calculated using mean U/Th ratio, and assuming ‘30Th-238U equilibium. Brackets indicate activity ratios; activities were calculated using decay constants of 9.1952 x 10e6 yr-‘, 4.9475 x 10-r’ yr-‘, and 1.5513 X lo-” yrr’ for 230Th, *a2Th and ‘38U respectively. Trace element concentrations in ppm. U and Th measured by isotope dilution, Zr and Pb by ICPMS. 294 M. Regeious et al./ Earth and Planetary Science Letters I50 (1997) 291-302 filter. Sr was analysed using a dynamic procedure, and an exponential fractionation correction to 86Sr/ **Sr = 0.1194. Mean values (2~) for the NBS987 Sr and UCSC Th standards over the period of analysis were *?Sr/ 86Sr 0.710244 k 17 (n = 10) and 232Th/ 230Th 170,823 + 1032 (n = 8); laboratory averages for these standards during 1995 were 0.710249 + 24 and 170,345 f 938, respectively. Zr and Pb concentrations were measured by ICPMS using a Fisons PlasmaQuad II instrument, and U and Th concentrations were determined by isotope dilution using a 233U- 229Th spike. 4. Results I- /’ Equilhe / q ,_ IL >_ 4.1. Th isotope data Selected trace element and isotope data for those samples analysed for Th isotopes are presented in Table 1, and the Th isotope data are illustrated on a conventional equiline diagram in Fig. 2. Pacific sediments from the boreholes studied have U/Th values of between 0.18 and 0.78, similar to those previously reported for Pacific sediments [8], and corresponding to equilibrium (230Th/ 232Th) values of 0.5-I 5 (Fig. 2). Tonga lavas have among the highest (238U/232Th) and (230Th/232Th) values yet reported for subduction-related rocks (Fig. 21, and our new analyses extend the existing database for Tonga lavas [8,9,22,23]. All Tonga lavas analysed have excess U, with a range in (230Th/ 238U) between 0.54 and 0.79. Lavas from the Tonga islands of Tafahi and Kao have lower (230Th/ 23’Th) and (‘38U/ 232Th) than other Tonga samples. The Tonga lavas define an array in Fig. 2 corresponding to an “age” of N 70 ka. However, a best-lit line through this array intersects the equiline at negative ( 230Th/ 232Th), and is therefore unlikely to have any age significance. Instead, the alignment of the data in Fig. 2 may reflect mixing processes, as discussed later in this paper. Kermadec lavas have lower (238U/ 232Th) th an T onga lavas, are generally closer to equilibrium, and have U excess or Th excess. Lavas from Niua fo’ou volcano in the back-arc Lau Basin have larger 230Th excess, and (230Th/ 232Th) values similar to oceanic basalts (Fig. 2). Unlike lavas from other tectonic environments, I - 0 1 2 3 4 ( 23aU/232Th) Fig. 2. A. Equiline diagram illustrating Th isotope data for lavas from the Tonga-Kermadec arc, and from the back-arc volcano of Niua fo’ou. Field is for existing analyses of Tonga lavas [8,9]. B. Data for MORB, OIB and other subduction-related rocks [8,9,12,13] are shown for comparison. Abbreviations; P Philippines; J Japan/Indonesia; C Costa Rica; L Lesser Antilles; M Marianas; T Tonga; A Aleutians; Ae Aeolian; V Valu Fa; N Nicaragua. many arc lavas, including Tonga lavas, are characterised by excess 238U, which is due to addition of the fluid-soluble element U to the source of the arc lavas < 350 ka prior to mantle melting [8-lo]. Subduction-related lavas also tend to have more variable (230Th/ 232Th) than oceanic basalts, and this is generally ascribed to subduction of materials (pelagic sediments, carbonates, altered oceanic crust) with variable U/Th [S-lo]. The significance of the Th isotope compositions of Tonga-Kermadec lavas is discussed further in Section 5.5. Most oceanic basalts are characterised by excess 230Th due largely to the greater incompatibility of Th compared to U during mantle melting [24,25]. The Th excess observed in Niua fo’ou lavas from the Lau Basin is therefore interpreted to reflect a much reduced input from slab-derived fluids in the back-arc h4. Regelous et al./Earth [20,21]. In detail, the U-Th systematics of oceanic basalts are sensitive to the process and timescale of melting, and the subsequent behaviour of the melts (e.g. [26]). The data for the back-arc lavas are therefore not discussed in detail here, except to note that the large degree of disequilibrium (230Th/ 238U 1. l1.4), and the low (‘30Th/232Th) values (1.1-1.2) of the Niua fo’ou lavas are more characteristic of ocean island basalts (OIB) than of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MoRB). 4.2. Pb isotope data Pacific sediments from the three boreholes studied have relatively radiogenic Pb isotope compositions (Fig. 31, similar to previously reported analyses of western Pacific sediments [8,14,27,28]. Two samples from depths of between 100 and 150 m.b.s.f. at Site 204 have significantly higher 206Pb/ *04Pb and lower “‘Pb/ 2”4Pb. These samples are composed largely 15.e 295 and Planetary Science Letters 150 (1997) 291-302 of volcanic material derived from the nearby Louisville Seamount Chain (LSC) [29], and have similar Pb isotope compositions to basalts dredged from the LSC (Fig. 3). The least radiogenic sediment samples are from the uppermost 50 m of hole 204; these sediments contain a large arc-derived ash component, deposited in the youngest units as the Pacific Plate has drifted towards the Tonga arc. Lavas from Tonga islands to the south of Niuatoputapu define an array between the fields of Pacific MORB and Pacific sediments in Fig. 3. Lavas from the northernmost Tonga islands of Niuatoputapu and Tafahi are more radiogenic than those of other Tonga islands (Fig. 3). In order to highlight the difference between these two Tonga arrays, a suite of thirteen lava flows from the latter two islands were analysed [30]. Pb isotope compositions for these samples extend to high ‘06Pb/ ‘04Pb in Fig. 3, overlapping the field of basalts from the Louisville Seamount Chain. Kermadec lavas have generally ’ A f’ + Sediment + ++ 8 15.7 B N + + $ $ 15.6 15.5 B % LSC Samoa 39 *+ ++ 0 8 @ 2 ‘5. 3 :g$$ Pactfic MOW . -I 39 18 19 206Pb1204Pb 20 19 20 206Pb/204Pb Fig. 3. (A) and (B); Pb isotope data for lavas and sediments analysed in this study, and for lavas from Samoa [33,51,52], the Louisville Seamount Chain [39], and Indian and Pacific MORB [37j. Crosses represent Pacific sediments (this study); other symbols as in Fig. 2. The two sediment samples with high *06Pb/ 204Pb are from depths of between 100 and 150 m.b.s.f. at ODP site 204, and consist largely of volcanic material from the nearby Louisville Seamount Chain [29]. The 13 Tonga samples with ‘06Pb/ *04Pb > 18.8 (diamond symbols) are from the two northernmost Tonga islands of Niuatoputapu and Tafahi: these have similar Pb isotope compositions to lavas from the LX. (CJ and (D); comparison of Tonga-Kermadec lavas with data for other arcs from the western Pacific. Most Tonga-Kermadec lavas are similar to lavas from the Marianas 1531, New Britain [54], N. Japan [14] and.Philippines [55] arcs, but Tafahi and Niuatoputapu lavas have significantly different Pb isotope compositions, in particular higher ‘06Pb/ 2”4Pb , suggesting a unique (Louisville) source for the Pb. 296 IU. Regelous et al./ Earth and Planetary Science L.etters I50 (1997) 291-302 more radiogenic Pb isotope compositions than Tonga lavas, and extend towards the field defined by Pacific sediments in Fig. 3. Lavas from the southern Kermadec islands of Curtis and L’Esperance are more radiogenic than lavas from Macauley and Raoul [28,31]. Most Tonga-Kermadec lavas have similar Pb isotope compositions to lavas from the Marianas, New Britain, Philippines and Japanese arcs (Fig. 3C, D). However, samples from Tafahi and Niuatoputapu islands have very different Pb isotope compositions to lavas from other arcs in the western Pacific, in particular higher 206Pb/ *04Pb. 5. Discussion 5.1. Geochemical variations in Tonga-Kennadec lavas Geochemical studies of subduction-related lavas have shown that arc magmatism occurs in response to the addition of fluids and/or melts derived from sediments and altered oceanic crust in the subducting slab, to the sub-arc mantle wedge [I -3,321. This model can account for the characteristic enrichment in arc lavas of large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) relative to high field strength elements (HFSE) compared to MORB. In this section, we briefly evaluate the relative contributions of subducted sediment, subducted oceanic crust, and mantle wedge to the trace element budget of Tonga-Kermadec lavas. Quantitative modelling of these data is presented elsewhere (Ewart et al., submitted). The purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate that along-arc variations in geochemistry of the lavas can be linked to differences in the material being subducted along the arc, and that this can be used to estimate the timescales of processes beneath the arc. Previous geochemical studies of Tonga-Kermadec lavas [20,21] have shown that broad variations in lava geochemistry along the arc can be linked to variable depletion of the mantle wedge beneath the arc. Increasing depletion of the wedge towards the northern end of the arc, linked to greater extension in the northern Lau Basin, coupled with a relatively uniform flux from the subducting slab result in more extreme LILE/LREE enrichment in northern Tonga lavas. However, differences in the material being subducted along the arc also play a part in generating along-arc variations in lavas chemistry, as outlined below. The mantle wedge beneath the northern end of the Tonga arc contains an OIB component, derived from the Samoa mantle plume [23,30]. As a result, many commonly-used indicators of the subduction input, such as the U/Nb ratio [33], do not accurately reflect the relative roles of wedge and subduction component. OIB typically have high concentrations of Nb relative to Zr compared to MORB and islandarc lavas. Zr is therefore less sensitive than Nb to the presence of an OIB component in the mantle wedge, and here we use U/Zr as a measure of the subduction input. Both U and Zr are incompatible in mantle materials, but U is mobile in aqueous fluids, whereas Zr is not [2,34], and so higher U/Zr ratios may indicate a larger contribution from the subducted slab to the trace element budget of the lavas. Data for lavas from the volcanic island of Niua fo’ou (Table 1) in the northern Lau Basin behind the Tonga arc (Fig. l), which contain a much reduced subduction input [20,21] are shown for comparison. Analyses of sixteen lavas from the Intermediate and Central Lau Basin active spreading centers [35] are also shown in Fig. 4A. The high and variable U/Zr values of Tonga-Kermadec lavas compared to Lau Basin lavas are interpreted to reflect addition of U from the subducted slab, rather than partial melting or fractional crystallisation processes. 5.2. Source of trace elements in the lavas For Tonga lavas, excluding those from Tafahi, lavas with the greatest slab contribution (high U/Zr) have high 87Sr/ 86Sr, but tend to have lower *06Pb/ 204Pb (Fig. 4). The isotope variations cannot be explained by dehydration of subducted Pacific sediments, which have high 206Pb/ *04Pb and high Pb concentrations (Table 1, Fig. 3). However, altered oceanic crust in the subductin Pacific plate would have the required high 89Sr LT;;; *G; ‘,“,“d 206Pb/204Pb [36]. The low *‘*Pb/ *04Pb inferred for the slab component (Figs. 3 and 4D) is consistent with a source from subducted Pacific oceanic crust, whereas the mantle underlying much of the Lau Basin is Indian type MORB mantle [37]. The array defined by Tonga lavas extending between the fields for Pacific sediment and Pacific M. Regelous et al./Earth and Planetary Science Letters 150 (19971291-302 MORB in Fig. 3 is thus interpreted to reflect addition of variable amounts of slab-derived fluid to the mantle wedge. The Tonga samples with the least 0.7032 0.7030 -D 0°$ 19.2 - % 4 4 I 19.0 - 18.4d 0.000 I 8 '8 0.004 'I" O.OfJ8 .'L 0.012 URr Fig. 4. Variation of (A) Th/Zr, (B) cz3’Th/ 232Th), (C) “Sr,/ 86Sr and (D) lo6Pb/ ‘“Pb with U/Zr for the volcanic rocks analysed in this study. U and Th concentrations were measured by ICPMS. 2o external errors are shown for the isotope measurements. Symbols as in Fig. 2; Tonga lavas (excluding those from Niuatoputapu and Tafahi) are highlighted. Shaded field is for data for young lavas from Lau Basin spreading centers [35], and the star represents an average N-MORB composition [50]. Higher U/Zr ratios indicate a larger contribution from the subducted slab to the trace element budget of the lavas (see text), showing that the slab component beneath the Tonga arc has high “‘Sr/ a6 Sr but low ‘06Pb/ *04Pb compared to the mantle wedge. 291 subduction input are more radiogenic than depleted upper mantle (Fig. 31, suggesting that the mantle beneath the arc was contaminated by sediment prior to addition of U enriched fluid, and hinting that sediments and fluids may be added to the sub-arc mantle by different processes [381. Lavas from the northern Tonga islands of Tafahi and Niuatoputapu have more radiogenic Pb and Sr isotope compositions than other Tonga lavas (Fig. 4). Pb isotope compositions of the most radiogenic samples are similar to those of basalts from the Louisville Seamount Chain (LSC) [39] (Fig. 3), the northern part of which has been subducted beneath the Tonga arc. Our ICPMS analyses show that the Louisville volcanic ash and tuff material in the Site 204 core have Pb concentrations of N 1 ppm, in contrast to the overlying Fe-rich clays which contain 20-30 ppm Pb. A 200 m thick layer of Pb-rich clay is being subducted at the Tonga Trench, however Fig. 3 clearly shows that the Pb in Tafahi and Niuatoputapu lavas is dominated by the Louisville-derived component. The Louisville Pb is therefore most likely derived from the altered basaltic crust of the subducted LSC, in which Pb has been concentrated by hydrothermal fluids. This is further supported by the fact that Pb in other Tonga lavas is derived from altered Pacific MORB crust, as discussed above. The new Pb isotope data for Tonga lavas is convincing evidence that subducted oceanic crust may make a significant contribution to the trace element budget of arc magmas [40]. Kermadec lavas have generally lower U/Zr values than Tonga lavas (Fig. 4), consistent with a less depleted mantle beneath the Kermadec arc [20,21], and thus a larger contribution from the mantle wedge to the trace element budget of Kermadec lavas. Kermadec lavas have more variable trace element and isotope compositions, and unlike Tonga lavas, do not lie on well-defined arrays in Fig. 4. Lavas from the southern Kermadec islands of L’Esperance and Curtis tend to contain more radiogenic Pb and Sr than lavas from Raoul and Macauley to the north, and Pb isotope compositions extend towards the field defined by western Pacific sediments in Fig. 3A, which suggests a small (2-3%) Pb contribution from subducted sediment [28]. The geochemical differences between Tonga and Kermadec lavas discussed above can be linked to 298 M. Regelous et al./ Earth and Planetary Science Letters I50 (1997) 291-302 variations in the material being subducted along the arc. East of the Tonga trench, the Pacific plate carries a relatively thin sediment cover (N 100 m at site 595; N 200 m at site 204), and thus the contribution from altered oceanic crust in the subducting slab can be detected in the Sr and Pb isotope compositions of Tonga lavas. At the southern end of the arc, a layer of sediment approximately 1 km thick is being subducted at the Hikurangi trench [41], and the greater input of sediment, derived from the continental shelf of New Zealand, into the trench at the southern end of the arc [42] can explain the more radiogenic Pb isotope compositions of Kermadec lavas, particularly those from the southern Kermadec islands of Curtis and L’Esperance. I >. ,\ \ \\\Tsfahi 5.3. Element transport rates in the Tonga subduction zone As discussed above, the Pb in lavas from the northern Tonga islands of Tafahi and Niuatoputapu was derived from the subducted portion of the LSC on the downgoing Pacific plate. The LSC signature is not seen in young ( < 350 ka) lavas from islands further to the south along the arc. This observation can potentially be used to estimate the time taken for elements such as Pb to travel from the subducting slab, through the mantle wedge, and back to the surface in lavas (the mantle residence time). This Ido-Australian T&hi Nluatoputapu Pacific Plate hydration (-100 km) Fig. 5. Schematic section through the northern part of the Tonga arc. The time taken for water-soluble elements to travel from the subducted part of the LSC to the surface in lavas, is equal to the time taken for the northern part of the LSC to be subducted from the depth of dehydration to its inferred present depth beneath the arc. Fig. 6. Projection of the northern (subducted) portion of the LSC onto the surface of the subducted Pacific plate beneath the northern end of the Tonga arc, modified from [43]. The present depth of the LSC beneath Tafahi is estimated at 400-500 km, using data from [43-481. Taking into account the geometry of the subducted slab, the inferred depth of dehydration and the subduction rate in northern Tonga, this gives an estimate of 2-3 Ma for the residence time of Pb in the mantle wedge, as discussed in the text. approach is illustrated schematically in Fig. 5. The residence time of Pb is equivalent to the time taken for the LX to be subducted from the depth at which Pb was released from the slab, to its present depth beneath the northern end of the Tonga arc. The geodynamics of the Tonga region has been extensively studied, and the structure and orientation of the subducting slab, and regional plate motions are relatively well constrained. The geometry of the subducted Pacific Plate [43,44] and the LSC [45-481, were used to estimate the depth of the subducted seamounts beneath the northern end of the Tonga arc (Fig. 6) at 400-500 km. The present-day convergence rate between the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates at the northern end of the Tonga trench is extremely rapid, at around 20 cm/yr [17,18]. This high convergence rate in part reflects rapid Lau Basin spreading since _ 6 Ma. Fluids and fluid-soluble elements are released from the subducting material by complex dehydration reactions occurring at depths of between 50 and 150 km [3]. Assuming that the slab dehydrates at a M. Regelous et al./ Earth and Planetary Science Letters 150 C19971 291-302 depth of 100 km, and taking into account the shape of the subducting slab [43,44], then for a subduction rate of 20 cm/yr, the time taken for Pb and Sr to travel from slab to surface is between 2 and 3 Ma (Fig. 5). If the slab dehydrates at depths < 100 km, or if subduction rates were lower in the past, this is a minimum estimate of the residence time. The possible errors involved in this estimate are difficult to evaluate, but this approach does at least provide an alternative estimate to geophysical modelling and “Be data, and the results do not support very brief ( < 350 ka) mantle residence times. This estimated mantle residence time, together with the measured subduction rate in northern Tonga [ 17,181, yield transport times from the trench, through the mantle wedge, and back to the surface in arc lavas, of 3-4 Ma. This is therefore consistent with the < 7 Ma constraint obtained from “Be data for other arc lavas [5-71. 5.4. Model for arc magmatism The calculations above suggest that fluid-soluble elements such as Pb are transported from the subducting slab to the surface in lavas, over a period of around 2-3 Ma. On the other hand, excess 238U observed in all young Tonga lavas indicates that addition of U to the magma source, and subsequent mantle melting occurred < 350 ka before the lavas were erupted at the surface. Recent numerical modelling studies of the thermal structure of subduction zones [4,49] have proposed that fluid-soluble elements are transported through the mantle wedge by a series of hydration-dehydration reactions. Fluids transport elements such as Pb vertically until stabilised in hydrous minerals in the overlying mantle wedge, these elements are then “fixed” in the mantle until continued subduction brings the minerals back down to a depth at which they dehydrate. In this way, fluid-soluble elements are transported across the mantle wedge over a period of time, and arc magmas with (‘38U/ “30Th) > 1 are generated when the last such dehydration event released fluid into the region of melting. The timescales estimated above imply a rate of magma transport to the surface of at least 40 cm/yr, and that elements are transported laterally within the wedge by fluids at an average rate of about 2-3 cm/yr. This is similar to estimates of average lateral 199 transport rates of fluids within the mantle wedge based on thermal-mechanical modelling (centimeters per year) [4]. 5.5. Mantle residence times and Th isotope systematits Th isotope compositions of lavas erupted at convergent plate margins reflect the derivation of the Th, and/or the timing of U/Th fractionation events occurring within the last 350 ka. The high ( 230Th/ 23’Th) va 1ues observed in many arc lavas (Fig. 2) may reflect recent addition of Th from a source with time-integrated high U/Th, for example carbonate sediments or altered subducted oceanic crust; alternatively, high cz3’Th/ ‘3’Th) in arc lavas may be due to ingrowth of ‘30Th in a U-enriched component of the mantle wedge over a period of time [8- 101. Tonga-Kermadec arc lavas have higher U/Zr and higher Th/Zr than depleted upper mantle in the region as recorded by Lau Basin lavas (Fig. 4A). In Fig. 4A, Tonga and Kermadec lavas define two arrays with positive slope, indicating that both U and Th are added from the slab to the mantle wedge. This is consistent with the results of recent experimental studies which suggest that Th is as soluble as Sr in Cl-rich fluids [2,34]. Assuming that Zr is completely immobile in slab-derived fluids, then the U/Zr and Th/Zr values of Tonga-Kennadec lavas compared to those of average MORB [50] indicate that 70-90% of the total U and Th in the arc lavas is derived from the slab (Fig. 4A). These are underestimates if Zr is also transferred from the slab to the mantle wedge. About 80% of the Th in Tonga lavas is thus derived from the slab. However, our estimate that U and Th take 2-3 Ma to travel from the subducted slab to the surface in lavas indicates that the high cz3’Th/ ‘j*Th) va 1ues of Tonga lavas were not inherited directly from the slab. Instead, high cz3’Th/ 23’Th) must be due to ingrowth of 230Th in the mantle wedge. The fact that many arc lavas are close to 130Th- ‘38U equilibrium has previously been interpreted as due to ingrowth of ‘3”Th in a U-enriched, easily melted component of the mantle wedge [lo]. Earlier studies have also shown that a positive and 208pb ~,?06p,,* correlation exists between 300 hf. Regelous et al. /Earth and Planetary Science Letters I.50 (1997) 291-302 Th/U for arc lavas worldwide [8,9], which suggests that much of the Th/U variation in arc lavas is generated during addition of old (> 100 Ma) sediment and/or altered oceanic crust to the mantle wedge. Thus, although hydration-dehydration reactions in the mantle wedge will fractionate U and Th, it appears that the Th isotope compositions of arc lavas broadly reflects the material being subducted, via the U/Th ratio of the slab component. Fig. 4A indicates that the U/Th ratio of the slab component in Tonga and Kermadec lavas is different, having higher U/Th beneath the Tonga arc. We interpret high U/Th and high cz3’Th/ 232Th) in Tonga lavas to reflect derivation from U-enriched, altered oceanic crust in the subducting slab. Lower cz3’Th/ 232Th) in Kermadec lavas, and small 230Th excess in some samples are the result of a larger contribution from the less depleted mantle wedge, and from subducted Pacific sediment with low U/Th. Tafahi samples have lower (230Th/ 232Th) than other Tonga lavas, and the inferred U/Th of the subduction component is also intermediate between Tonga and Kermadec lavas, perhaps reflecting the younger, presumably less U-enriched crust of the LSC. 6. Conclusions Geochemical variations in young volcanic rocks from the Tonga-Kermadec arc can be linked to differences in the material being subducted beneath the arc. Lavas from the Kermadec segment of the arc contain a contribution from subducted sediment whereas the Sr and Pb in Tonga lavas is derived from altered oceanic crust in the subducting Pacific plate. Lavas from the northernmost Tonga islands of Tafahi and Niuatoputapu contain Pb and Sr derived from the subucted portion of the Louisville Seamount Chain, and this is used to estimate the rate at which water-soluble trace elements are transported beneath the arc. These elements have residence times in the mantle wedge of approximately 2-3 Ma, and so the variable Th isotope compositions of Tonga and Kermadec lavas reflect ingrowth of 230Th within a variably U- and Th-enriched mantle wedge prior to 350 ka. Magmas are erupted within 350 ka of their generation in the mantle wedge, indicating magma ascent rates of > 40 cm/yr, whereas element trans- port by fluids within the wedge takes place at an average rate of 2-3 cm/yr. Acknowledgements This research was supported by ARC grants to K.D.C. and A.E. We thank Y. Niu, J.-X. Zhao, R. Frankland and M. 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