Island arcs are postulated as the juvenile components that contribute to growth of continental crust. Growth rates arc crusts were previously computed using crustal thicknesses derived from seismic data. Consequently, oceanic island also constrained by limited data availability. This work presents first comparison gravity-derived magmatic Western Pacific arcs. We used statistical correlation be...

The geological complexities of contractional orogenic belts have been studied for two centuries, yet our understanding of them is still rapidly changing. Most mountain belts form at or near the active edges of continents and/or fringing island arcs. Virtually all result from consumption of lithospheric plates, involving the underflow of oceanic crust, and the consequent transport and descent of...

Abstmct: Island arc lavas from New Britain and the Marianas have 143 Nd/144 Nd similar to other oceanic basalts and distinctly different from continental flood basalts and thus appear to be derived from a high Sm/Nd, light-REE-depleted reservoir. Consideration of both Nd and Sr isotopes suggests seawater involvement in the generation of some island arc lavas and thus indicates that they may be ...