IODP Exp 352: investigating conditions of subduction initiation with stable isotopes

我们赖以生存的地球外壳是由易碎的“板块”组成的。这些板块在地球表面的迁移与地震和火山喷发等重大地质事件直接相关。在一些地区，两个板块发生碰撞，迫使其中一个板块位于另一个板块之下，这一过程被称为“俯冲”。俯冲带是地球上大部分火山爆发的原因，包括臭名昭著的太平洋“火环”。板块俯冲为什么以及如何开始是一个有很大争议的问题。IODP对博宁前弧(在“火环”中)的352次探险旨在恢复该地区刚刚开始俯冲时的熔岩。这些熔岩可能是了解是什么驱使俯冲启动的关键。此外，熔岩中记录的化学变化可能记录了俯冲系统如何随时间演变。

The outer shell of the Earth that we live on is made up of brittle "plates". The migration of these plates across the surface of the planet is directly linked to major geologic events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In some regions, two plates collide, forcing one beneath the other in a process called 'subduction'. Subduction zones are responsible for much of the explosive volcanism on Earth, including the infamous Pacific "Ring of Fire". Why and how plate subduction starts is a matter of much debate. IODP Expedition 352 to the Bonin forearc (in the 'ring of fire') aims to recover lavas from the time period when subduction was just starting in the region. These lavas may hold the key to understanding what drives subduction initiation. Furthermore, the chemical changes recorded in the lavas may document how a subduction system evolves through time.