Mid-Pleistocene Submarine Acidic Volcanism of the Tokara Islands, Japan

Abstract

To understand the submarine volcanism surrounding the Tokara Islands, a submarine topographic analysis and 67 dredge samplings were carried out. Prior to the submarine investigations, we reviewed comprehensively geological and geophysical data on this region and confirmed the complexity of both volcanic activity and tectonic setting of the Tokara Islands. In contrast to the homogeneous subaerial volcanic rocks comprising predominantly two-pyroxene andesite lava flows, the dredged samples vary from basaltic andesite to rhyolite in composition. Furthermore, we reveal that dacitic and rhyolitic pumices are abundant and broadly distributed throughout the submarine area. The recovered volcanic rocks were mainly subangular to angular cobble-boulder fragments of lava, scoria, and variably vesiculated pumice. Volcanic rocks with hornblende phenocrysts occur only north of the Tokara strike-slip fault, which is a major tectonic element of volcanism.