IODP Exp 352: investigating conditions of subduction initiation with stable isotopes
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Earth Science and Engineering
Abstract
The outer shell of the Earth that we live on is made up of brittle "plates". The migration of these plates across the surface of the planet is directly linked to major geologic events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In some regions, two plates collide, forcing one beneath the other in a process called 'subduction'. Subduction zones are responsible for much of the explosive volcanism on Earth, including the infamous Pacific "Ring of Fire". Why and how plate subduction starts is a matter of much debate.
IODP Expedition 352 to the Bonin forearc (in the 'ring of fire') aims to recover lavas from the time period when subduction was just starting in the region. These lavas may hold the key to understanding what drives subduction initiation. Furthermore, the chemical changes recorded in the lavas may document how a subduction system evolves through time.
IODP Expedition 352 to the Bonin forearc (in the 'ring of fire') aims to recover lavas from the time period when subduction was just starting in the region. These lavas may hold the key to understanding what drives subduction initiation. Furthermore, the chemical changes recorded in the lavas may document how a subduction system evolves through time.
Planned Impact
The results and methods applied in this study are of interest to many sectors outside academia including the general public and more disparate applications such as biomedicine.
General Public/Press/Media/Science Education/Museums:
Research on the origins of subduction zones and their associated volcanoes translates easily to press, media coverage and science education bodies. Imperial College London is also situated next door the Natural History Museum, which hosts 'Nature Live' events given by scientists about their research for the general public. Anything with lava never fails to draw a crowd.
Biomedical industry
The MAGIC isotope group at Imperial also has strong ties to biomedical applications through collaboration with M. Rehkamper and his former PhD student F. Larner who investigated Cu and Zn isotopes in blood. Vanadium is a all biologically important trace metal in organic systems and discussion about their utility have already been initiated.
General Public/Press/Media/Science Education/Museums:
Research on the origins of subduction zones and their associated volcanoes translates easily to press, media coverage and science education bodies. Imperial College London is also situated next door the Natural History Museum, which hosts 'Nature Live' events given by scientists about their research for the general public. Anything with lava never fails to draw a crowd.
Biomedical industry
The MAGIC isotope group at Imperial also has strong ties to biomedical applications through collaboration with M. Rehkamper and his former PhD student F. Larner who investigated Cu and Zn isotopes in blood. Vanadium is a all biologically important trace metal in organic systems and discussion about their utility have already been initiated.
Publications
Fonseca R
(2020)
Formation mechanisms of macroscopic globules in andesitic glasses from the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc (IODP Expedition 352)
in Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
Li H
(2019)
Radiogenic isotopes document the start of subduction in the Western Pacific
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Maunder B
(2020)
Rapid subduction initiation and magmatism in the Western Pacific driven by internal vertical forces.
in Nature communications
Reagan M
(2017)
Subduction initiation and ophiolite crust: new insights from IODP drilling
in International Geology Review
Shervais J
(2021)
Magmatic Response to Subduction Initiation, Part II: Boninites and Related Rocks of the Izu-Bonin Arc From IODP Expedition 352
in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
Shervais JW
(2019)
Magmatic Response to Subduction Initiation: Part 1. Fore-arc Basalts of the Izu-Bonin Arc From IODP Expedition 352.
in Geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems : G(3)
| Description | Exp. 352 was very successful in recovering the desired volcanic material from the Bonin trench that contains the record of the earliest stages of plate subduction. Work is ongoing, and our post-cruise meeting in May 2016 saw the beginnings of synthesis activities. Full preliminary report is given on the website below. Key results of Exp 352 include the recovery of the first in situ record of subduction initiation, which produces very chemically different rocks over short timescales and in close spatial association. This specific award examines the stable isotopic compositions of those lavas, which as of 2020 have been analysed for all necessary background geochemical information and Fe-Ti-V-Zn-Cu isotopic compositions. The interpretive work has/is being carried out by a series of undergraduate students and one Phd student (S. Page). |
| Exploitation Route | Many collaborative activités were planned at the post-cruise meeting in 2016. These are coming to fruition with the release of several publications and many more in the works. |
| Sectors | Education,Environment |
| URL | http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/izu_bonin_forearc.html |
| Description | I have used the experiences on this cruise both in my own teaching and in lectures to the general public. For example, styrofoam cups that have been squished by 3km worth of water illustrate the magnitude of the undertaking of deep ocean drilling. Public lectures have been particularly engaging. Such public lectures have continued through to present day. |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | VOILA (Volatiles in the Lesser Antilles) NERC consortium |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Through my work on subduction initiation with IODP 352, I have begun a collaboration with the NERC-funded VOILA consortium. VOILA investigates the Lesser Antilles subduction zone. Specifically, Saskia Goes (Imperial), Jereon von Hunan (Durham) and myself co-supervise VOILA funded PDRA Ben Maunder (Imperial). Dr. Maunder is actively using numeric models to investigate the findings of IODP 352. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr. Ben Maunder is a geodynamic modeller. He is using the constraints gained from chemical analyses performed as part of IODP 352 to model subduction initiation. |
| Impact | This is a multi-disciplinary collaboration of geophysics and geochemistry under the large umbrella of the VOILA network. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Departmental Seminar, Hannover, Germany |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited departmental seminar at the Institute fur Mineralogie and Petrologie, Hannover, Germany. A 45 minute lecture with lively 20 minute discussion afterwards as part of a two-day visit to initiate and strengthen international collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Departmental seminar at Leeds University Earth Science Department |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited Departmental seminar as part of a two day visit to discuss further grant applications with colleagues at Leeds. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/research/essi/geoscience-seminars/Event/?SemID=412 |
| Description | Earth Science Department Seminar - University of St. Andrews |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Departmental Seminar at University of St. Andrews, titled "Rocks record the speed and mantle chaos of subduction initiation". This focussed on the results of IODP Exp. 352. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://earthsci.st-andrews.ac.uk/2018/09/09/28-nov-2018-seminar-tbc-vanadium-isotopes/ |
| Description | Expedition 352 blog |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I maintained a blog about my experiences on IODP Exp. 352 during the cruise. The blog was titled : Crustal Death and Recycling in the Ring of Fire" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://wwwf.imperial.ac.uk/blog/crustaldeath/ |
| Description | Keynote Presentation at 50th anniversary of IODP conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This keynote address was titled: Rocks Record the Speed and Mantle Chaos of Subduction Initiation. It was given at the annual UKIODP conference in London at the Natural History Museum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://nerc.ukri.org/research/funded/programmes/ukiodp/news/50years/ |
| Description | Public Lecture - Mole Valley |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I gave a general public lecture to the Mole Valley geologic society on my experiences sailing with IODP. The title of the lecture was "The biggest volcano in the World?" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | UKIODP invited talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I outlined the major findings of IODP Exp 352 in an invited contribution to the annual UKIODP meeting |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |