International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 352 Preliminary Report: Izu-Bonin-Mariana Fore Arc: Testing subduction initiation and ophiolite models by drilling the outer Izu-Bonin-Mariana fore arc

Abstract

<p>The objectives for Expedition 352 were to drill through the entire volcanic sequence of the Bonin fore arc to</p> <ol><li>Obtain a high-fidelity record of magmatic evolution during subduction initiation and early arc development,</li> <li>Test the hypothesis that fore-arc basalt lies beneath boninite and understand chemical gradients within these units and across the transition,</li> <li>Use drilling results to understand how mantle melting processes evolve during and after subduction initiation, and</li> <li>Test the hypothesis that the fore-arc lithosphere created during subduction initiation is the birthplace of suprasubduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites.</li></ol>