Cretaceous Events at the Eastern Margin of East Asia Recorded in Rocks of the Ryoke Belt, SW Japan

Abstract

 In the Ryoke belt formed at the eastern margin of East Asia during mid-Creataceous time, the most important geological record is that of felsic igneous activity, which may have been caused by the subduction of a young (hot) oceanic lithosphere. The mantle-derived arc magmas formed due to subduction of the hot lithosphere underplated the lower crust. Continuous underplating of the mantle-derived magmas resulted in partial melting of the lower crustal mafic to intermediate rocks to produce granite magmas. The granite magmas rose and were emplaced at a mid-crustal depth. They caused thermal perturbation around rocks of the Jurassic accretionary complex (Mino–Tamba belt) and formed the resultant low-pressure/high-temperature regional contact metamorphism (Ryoke metamorphism). At the time of Ryoke metamorphism, during subduction of a hot oceanic lithosphere with high obliquity, a low-angle detachment fault formed at the forearc region of the mid-Cretaceous SW Japan arc. Following this event, subduction of an inactive oceanic ridge or a very hot oceanic lithosphere with low obliquity occurred; a compressional stress regime occurred at the forearc region, forming granite mylonites and large-scale upright folds associated with crustal displacement along the detachment fault. After this event, the angle of subduction decreased gradually; the location of the felsic igneous activity moved toward the continent.