Potassium and argon concentrations and age determination of ODP Site 125-782 and 125-786

K-Ar whole-rock ages have been obtained for 30 samples from Sites 782 and 786, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 125 in the Izu-Bonin (Ogasawara) forearc region. They form a trimodal spread of ages between 9 Ma and 44 Ma and are, with a few exceptions, consistent with the inferred lithostratigraphy. The ages have been interpreted in terms of at least two distinct episodes of magmatic and/or hydrothermal activity. A group of ten samples, including the lava flows, gave an isochron age of 41.3 ± 0.5 Ma (middle-late Eocene). This is thought to represent the age of the principal magmatic development of the volcanic forearc basement, and is comparable to published ages on equivalent rocks from other parts of the forearc basement high (e.g., the Ogasawara Islands). It may be significant that this age is slightly younger than the timing of major plate reorganization in the Western Pacific at about 43 Ma. This was followed by a minor episode of intrusive magmatism at 34.6 ± 0.7 Ma (early Oligocene) which appears to have reset the ages of some of the earlier units. This event probably corresponds to the initiation of rifting of the "proto-arc" to form the Parece Vela Basin. Boninitic samples were erupted during both episodes of magmatism, the earlier being of low-Ca boninite type and the later being of medium- and high-Ca types. It is also possible that a third episode of intrusive magmatism affected the Izu-Bonin forearc region at both Sites 782 and 786 at about 17 Ma. This would be consistent with magmatic activity elsewhere in the region during the Miocene, associated with the end of active spreading in the Parece Vela Basin and the start of arc activity in the West Mariana Ridge.

(Table 3) Concentration of Au, Pd, and Pt in the interstitial waters of ODP Leg 125 samples

Palladium, platinum, and gold were analyzed for 20 interstitial water samples from Leg 125. No Pd or Pt was detected in fluids from serpentinite muds from Conical Seamount in the Mariana forearc, indicating that low-temperature seawater-peridotite interaction does not mobilize these elements into the serpentinizing fluids to levels above 0.10 parts per billion (ppb) in solution. However, Au may be mobilized in high pH solutions. In contrast, fluids from vitric-rich clays on the flanks of the Torishima Seamount in the Izu-Bonin forearc have Pd values of between 4.0 and 11.8 nmol/L, Pt values between 2.3 and 5.0 nmol/L and Au values between 126.9 and 1116.9 pmol/L. The precious metals are mobilized, and possibly adsorbed onto clay mineral surfaces, during diagenesis and burial of the volcanic-rich clays. Desorption during squeezing of the sediments may produce the enhanced precious metal concentrations in the analyzed fluids. The metals are mobilized in the fluids probably as neutral hydroxide, bisulfide, and ammonia complexes. Pt/Pd ratios are between 0.42 and 2.33, which is much lower than many of the potential sources for Pt and Pd but is consistent with the greater solubility of Pd compared with Pt in most natural low-temperature fluids.