The proximal volcaniclastic materials of Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba in the Izu-Bonin arc show contrasting characteristics to the drift pumice of the 2021 eruption

Abstract

Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba is a submarine volcano located at 24°17.1′ N/141°28.9′ E in the Izu–Bonin arc, and is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan. This volcano produced an explosive eruption in August 2021 that generated a large amount of volcaniclastic material, some of which drifted westward to Japan and the coastal area of East Asia as a pumice raft. The pumice clasts that drifted for >1000 km were mostly homogeneous and identical to those produced by past historical eruptions. The clasts have trachytic compositions (SiO₂ = 61–63 mass% and Na₂O + K₂O = 8.6–10.0 mass%) and contain augite, plagioclase, olivine (Mg# ~65), and magnetite, along with a small number of mafic enclaves containing diopside and high-Mg olivine (Mg# ~ 92). We undertook a research cruise to investigate the proximal volcaniclastic materials by dredging. The proximal materials include pumice, weakly vesiculated lapilli, and volcanic blocks, which have trachytic composition (SiO₂ contents up to 64.5 mass%). The main minerals in the proximal material are similar to those in the drift pumice, although remnants of mafic magma do not occur in the SiO₂-rich samples. The petrographic and geochemical characteristics of the proximal and drift ejecta from Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba suggest the magma reservoir was stratified into two parts. The major part experienced magma mixing with a limited volume of mafic magma, whereas the other part was more differentiated. The differentiated high-SiO₂ magma accumulated in the upper part of the magma reservoir and avoided the mixing with and feed of volatile from the mafic magma, then were pushed out from the volcanic vent without extensive bubbling to sunk in the proximal area.