Stable isotope compositions and water contents of boninite series volcanic rocks from Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands, Japan

Measurements of stable isotope compositions and water contents of boninite series volcanic rocks from the island of Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands, Japan, confirm that a large amount (1.6–2.4 wt.%) of primary water was present in these unusual magmas. An enrichment of 0.6‰ in18O during differentiation is explained by crystallization of18O-depleted mafic phases. Silicic glasses have elevated δ18O values and relatively low δD values indicating that they were modified by low-temperature alteration and hydration processes. Mafic glasses, on the other hand, have for the most part retained their primary isotopic signatures since Eocene time. Primary δD values of −53 for boninite glasses are higher than those of MORB and suggest that the water was derived from subducted oceanic lithosphere.