Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109

www.elsevier.com/locate/jvolgeores

Contemporaneous ascent of within-plate type and island-arc type

magmas in the Beppu±Shimabara graben system, Kyushu island,
Japan
Itsuro Kita a,*, Masatsugu Yamamoto a, Yoshitada Asakawa a, Masafumi Nakagawa a,
Sachihiro Taguchi b, Hidenao Hasegawa c
a
Faculty of Engineering and Resource Science, Akita University, Akita 010-8502, Japan
b
Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan
c
Institute for Environmental Sciences, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
Received 21 January 2000; accepted 16 February 2001

Abstract
Within-plate (WP) type and island-arc (IA) type magmas have erupted in north Kyushu and south Kyushu, respectively,
during Quaternary time. The former is related to the eastern end of the East Asian extensional province and the latter to the
subduction zone of the Philippine Sea plate. The Beppu±Shimabara graben system in the central part of Kyushu island is
located in the area of overlap between them. Quaternary volcanic rock samples from the graben system can be chemically
classi®ed as WP- and IA-types by their multi-element patterns and positions on a Zr±Nb±Y discrimination diagram. Rocks of
both type and of similar ages occur throughout the graben system. Furthermore, the rocks of WP-type give systematically higher
87
Sr/ 86Sr ratios (0.7048±0.7049) than those of the associated IA-type (around 0.7040). The relations between 87Sr/ 86Sr and Nb/
Y ratios of the former are clearly distinguished from those of the latter. These results demonstrate that this graben system is
characterized by the contemporaneous ascents of WP- and IA-type magmas to the same Quaternary volcanic areas. Such
rivalrous ascents of WP- and IA-type magmas seem to be a common feature of magmatism associated with graben in
extensional provinces related to subduction zones of island arcs and their boundary areas. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.
All rights reserved.
Keywords: graben; within-plate type magma; Island arc type magma; subduction zone; rifting area; spidergram pattern; 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio

1. Introduction WP-type basalts occur abundantly in North Kyushu,

Kyushu island in southwest Japan, has a compli-
cated tectonic setting (Fig. 1). The Philippine Sea
plate subducts under this area at the Nankai Trough
and the Ryukyu Trench to produce the Daisen and
Ryukyu volcanic zones, respectively. Furthermore,
* Corresponding author. Tel./fax: 181-18-8892455.
E-mail address: kita@ipc.akita-u.ac.jp (I. Kita).
at the margin of the East Asian province of rift-related
basaltic volcanism. The Beppu±Shimabara graben
system lies in the zone of overlap between the subduc-
tion zone and the present extensional tectonic area
(Tada, 1985) (Fig. 1). The Philippine Sea plate
subducts steeply beneath the Beppu and Kuju areas,
and is thought not to extend beneath the Shimabara
area because seismic centers deeper than 30 km are
lacking (Mitsunami, 1992). The Yufu±Tsurumi,

0377-0273/01/$ - see front matter q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0377-027 3(01)00222-0
100 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109

Fig. 1. Tectonic setting of Beppu±Shimabara (BS) graben system (after Tada, 1985) and locations of Beppu, Kuju, and Shimabara areas in
Kyushu, SW Japan. The distribution of rift type (WP-type) basalts in the Northwestern Kyushu is shown. Solid triangles show Yufu±Tsurumi,
Kuju, and Unzen volcanoes in Beppu, Kuju, and Shimabara areas, respectively. Inset map shows the location of the Sendai basalt area and the
tectonic environment of Kyushu island accompanied by distribution of WP-type basalts in the East Asia extensional province modi®ed from
Zhou et al., (1988). SWJA: SW Japan arc (also called the Daisen volcanic zone), RA: Ryukyu arc, NT: Nankai Trough, OT: Okinawa Trough
(modi®ed from Kimura, 1990), TLF: Tancheng±Lujiang fault zone.

Kuju, and Unzen volcanoes are located in the Beppu,
Kuju, and Shimabara areas of the graben system,
respectively. These volcanoes belong to the Daisen
volcanic zone, also called the SW Japan arc, which
stretches from Daisen in southwest Honshu island to
the Shimabara area of Kyushu (Fig. 1). Their volcanic
rocks can be distinguished petrographically and
geochemically from those of Aso volcano, which
lies at the northern end of the Ryukyu arc. The volca-
noes of SW Japan arc and Ryukyu arc are character-
ized by eruptions of hornblende andesite and
pyroxene andesite, respectively. The former contains
more abundant phenocrysts and have higher Fe 31/
Fe 21 ratios than the latter (Nakada, 1986).
Tectonic environments of volcanic rocks can be
distinguished using multi-element patterns (the
spidergram), which emphasize abundances of high
®eld strength (HFS) elements relative to large ion
lithophile (LIL) elements (e.g. Wood et al., 1981;
Pearce, 1983). According to Wood et al. (1981),
spidergrams of WP-type rocks have smooth primor-
dial mantle-normalized patterns that are different
from those of IA-type rocks, which show depression
of HFS elements, especially Nb, relative to LIL
 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
elements. It is well known that alkali and tholeiitic
basalts in North Kyushu show WP-type patterns,
whereas calc-alkaline andesites in the Ryukyu arc
have IA signatures (Nakada and Kamata (1988);
Kakubuchi et al., 1995). The volcanoes within the
Beppu±Shimabara graben system, however, have
produced volcanic rocks of both WP- and IA-types.
In the Beppu area at the eastern part of the graben
system, the existence of a WP-type basalt, erupted
concurrently with the dominant IA-type volcanic
rocks, has been reported (Ohta et al., 1992). Further-
more, in the Shimabara area at the western part of the
graben system, Nakada and Kamata (1988) reported
the occurrence of WP-type basalts and some andesites
of similar age showing spidergrams with patterns
intermediate between WP- and IA-types. Although
they explained the andesites by mixing of WP-type
basaltic magmas with felsic magmas formed by melt-
ing of lower crustal material, the petrogenetic rela-
tionship between the WP-type basalts and the
andesites has not yet been con®rmed by isotopic
data. These observations led us to hypothesize that
the grabens can act as a common channel for the
ascents of WP- and IA-type magmas in such tectonic
environments where the rifting area and subduction-
related island arc overlap one another (Kita, 1997).
Furthermore, IA-type magmas and WP-type basalts
have erupted concurrently within continental margin
arcs associated with graben and faults, such as the
Mexican volcanic belt and the Cascade arc of the
United States (e.g. Nelson and Carmichael, 1984;
Leeman et al., 1990; Carmichael et al., 1996; Luhr,
1997; Bacon et al., 1997; Borg et al., 1997; Conrey et
al., 1997). In this study, we aim to verify that the
Beppu±Shimabara graben system accommodated
not only IA-type arc magmatism but also WP-type
magmatism of almost the same age, based on detailed
spidergram patterns, positions on a Zr±Nb±Y discri-
mination diagram, Sr isotopic data, and the ages of the
volcanic rocks from the Beppu, Kuju, and Shimabara
areas.
2. Experimental
Major element compositions in volcanic rocks were
determined by X-ray ¯uorescence spectrometer
(Rigaku 3070) at Akita University, using the conven-
101
tional glass bead method. Their trace element contents
were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass
Spectrometer (VG-PQV) at Institute for Environmen-
tal Sciences. The sample solutions were prepared by
conventional acid digestion, using acids of ultra pure
grades and ultra pure water puri®ed by distillation and
the deionization. For calibrations of trace elements,
Custom Grade Standard Solutions for ICP from
SPEX Co. were used. The accuracy and precision of
major element contents are estimated to range
between 1 and 2% and of most trace elements between
2 and 8%. Isotopic compositions of Sr in rock samples
were measured using a mass spectrometer (Finnigan-
MAT 261) at Akita University. The average 87Sr/ 86Sr
value (^1s ) from 139 measurements of NBS-987 Sr
standard completed during the course of our studies is
0.710241 ^ 0.000022.
3. Spidergram patterns of volcanic rocks in the
graben system
Our interests were focused on the volcanic rocks
within the graben system reported by Nakada and
Kamata (1988) and Ohta et al. (1992). For that reason,
nine rock samples were collected from the Beppu,
Kuju, and Shimabara areas along the Beppu±Shima-
bara graben system (Fig. 1). Samples from Beppu and
Shimabara areas were collected from the same local-
ities as those reported by earlier workers, as follows;
Oninomiyama basalt (BO-1) from the Yufu±Tsurumi
volcanoes, and Minami±Shimabara andesites (S-1
and 2), Hayasaki basalt (S-3), and Atagoyama basalt
(S-4) from Unzen volcano (Table 1). Furthermore,
from Mt. Hiijidake of Kuju volcano group reported
by Nakada and Kamata (1988), the basalts (KH-1 and
2) and andesites (KH-3 and 4) were collected. In addi-
tion, three samples were collected from the Aso area
as representative IA-type rocks related to subduction
of the Philippine Sea plate. Table 1 shows sample
localities, rock types, and petrographical characteris-
tics of volcanic rocks from the Beppu±Shimabara
graben system and Aso area. Their major and trace
element contents, spidergram pattern types, Sr isoto-
pic data, and ages are shown in Table 2. Basalts from
the Kuju and Shimabara areas can be distinguished
petrographically from the associated andesites by
their olivine contents.
 102
I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
Table 1
Sample localities, rock types, and petrographical characteristics of volcanic rocks from the Beppu±Shimabara graben system and the Aso area (qualitative quantity of phenocryst
minerals: 111 . 1 1 . 1 . 2; pl: plagioclase; ol: olivine; opx: orthopyroxene; cpx: clinopyroxene; hbl: hornblende)

Area Sample no. Locality Rock type Phenocrysts Groundmass texture

Pl ol opx cpx hbl

Beppu area BO-1 Oninomiyama N33819 0 10 00 , E131824 0 20 00 Basalt 111 11 2 2 Intergranular

0 00 0 00
Kuju area KH-1 Hiijidake summit N33806 40 , E131816 20 Basalt 111 11 1 11 Intergranular
KH-2 Hiijidake N33806 0 30 00 , E131816 0 30 00 Basalt 111 11 2 1 Intersertal
KH-3 Hiijidake N33806 0 50 00 , E131815 0 40 00 Andesite 111 1 11 Hyalo-ophitic
KH-4 Hiijidake N33807 0 00 00 , E131815 0 30 00 Andesite 111 1 11 Hyalo-ophitic
Shimabara area S-1 Minami-shimabara N32841 0 20 00 , E130811 0 50 00 Andesite 111 1 11 2 Intersertal
S-2 Minami-shimabara N32840 0 10 00 , E130811 0 00 00 Andesite 111 1 11 2 Intersertal
S-3 Hayasaki N32837 0 30 00 , E130810 0 40 00 Basalt 11 1 Pilotaxitic
S-4 Atagoyama N32835 0 20 00 , E130811 0 10 00 Basalt 2 11 Pilotaxitic
Aso area AS-1 Nakadake N32850 0 40 00 , E131804 0 20 00 Basaltic andesite 111 1 2 11 Intersertal
AS-2 Komezuka N32854 0 00 00 , E131802 0 10 00 Basalt 111 11 11 Intergranular
AS-3 Nakadake N32852 0 30 00 , E131805 0 20 00 Basalt 11 1 1 Intersertal
Table 2
Chemical compositions, types of spidergrams, 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios, and ages of volcanic rocks from the Beppu±Shimabara graben system, and Aso and Sendai areas of Kyushu island.
YAE and NAKA correspond to the Yaeyama and Nakayama basalts in the Sendai area. Contents of major and trace elements are given in wt% and ppm, respectively. LOI means loss
on ignition and Fe2O3p is total iron as Fe2O3 ((1) Ohta et al., 1992; (2) Ohta, 1991; (3)Nakada and Kamata, 1988; (4) Ono and Watanabe, 1985; (5) Miyachi, 1982; SPG-type:
spidergram type; WP: within-plate type; IA: island-arc type; WP±IA: intermediate type

Sample BO-1 KH-1 KH-2 KH-3 KH-4 S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 AS-1 AS-2 AS-3 YAE NAKA

SiO2 (wt%) 53.12 52.55 52.65 58.29 61.54 58.45 56.50 49.39 48.34 54.55 51.64 52.08 53.78 50.07

I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
TiO2 1.83 1.03 1.06 1.03 0.72 1.00 1.06 2.02 1.63 0.90 0.94 1.03 0.81 1.40
Al2O3 15.19 17.93 18.25 16.66 16.00 17.08 17.28 15.39 14.53 17.28 17.61 17.67 15.28 16.62
Fe2O3p 9.64 9.91 9.98 7.66 6.37 7.84 8.28 10.77 11.65 9.53 10.56 10.39 8.74 10.14
MnO 0.15 0.18 0.18 0.14 0.13 0.16 0.15 0.16 0.18 0.15 0.17 0.17 0.15 0.17
MgO 5.86 4.62 4.38 3.40 2.59 2.70 3.28 6.68 9.10 3.91 5.35 4.31 7.11 6.90
CaO 7.59 8.77 8.57 6.87 5.86 6.77 7.30 8.70 8.97 8.32 9.80 8.87 9.86 9.28
Na2O 3.90 3.20 3.13 3.33 3.59 3.35 3.14 3.45 3.37 3.50 3.31 3.95 2.68 3.03
K2O 1.55 1.19 1.26 1.86 2.15 1.54 1.42 1.32 0.99 2.32 1.42 1.65 1.03 1.36
P2O5 0.50 0.22 0.24 0.19 0.18 0.23 0.21 0.61 0.49 0.24 0.24 0.27 0.22 0.32
LOI 0.72 0.17 0.99 0.38 0.93 2.04 1.41 1.59 1.05 0.16 0.05 0.82 0.58 0.79
Total 100.05 99.77 100.69 99.81 100.06 101.16 100.03 100.08 100.30 100.86 101.09 101.21 100.24 100.08

Rb (ppm) 38.4 27.0 29.9 54.1 57.0 51.7 43.9 31.0 18.1 75.3 42.0 47.9 18.1 38.2
Sr 634 775 784 436 511 467 484 608 423 638 581 645 772 421
Y 18.0 19.2 21.0 24.0 15.0 47.0 39.0 24.0 22.0 22.0 19.0 20.0 17.8 24.6
Zr 154 70.3 74.8 148 82.3 132 74.8 140 85.8 102 86.9 66.4 57.7 116
Nb 23.3 4.12 4.79 9.70 7.56 7.79 6.74 28.4 17.1 6.73 4.53 4.65 4.48 39.6
Ba 407 347 383 431 510 374 306 341 230 393 287 347 314 292
La 30.5 15.6 15.6 22.2 18.6 22.6 23.7 40.1 23.6 21.4 14.2 17.5 16.6 26.8
Ce 60.7 31.1 34.3 45.2 32.0 32.3 29.7 69.0 43.4 37.3 27.1 31.5 37.2 48.0
Nd 32.2 17.9 18.4 22.0 16.1 26.8 28.1 38.2 26.1 22.8 16.9 20.2 22.2 24.3
Sm 5.73 3.84 3.89 4.66 3.18 5.69 6.16 6.91 5.14 4.76 3.81 4.37 4.75 5.09
Eu 1.69 1.32 1.39 1.42 1.16 1.96 2.13 1.88 1.49 1.21 1.09 1.27 1.42 1.64
Gd 5.22 3.49 4.06 4.68 2.98 6.14 5.75 6.36 4.48 3.98 3.14 3.59 4.28 5.16
Dy 3.74 3.34 3.51 4.38 2.80 6.45 6.58 5.13 4.37 3.93 3.29 3.65 3.10 4.53
Er 1.64 1.80 1.82 2.29 1.52 3.77 3.75 2.41 2.26 2.14 1.78 2.01 1.76 2.72
Yb 1.34 1.65 1.65 2.16 1.50 3.47 3.59 2.03 2.06 2.03 1.72 1.87 1.69 2.76
Lu 0.19 0.24 0.24 0.32 0.23 0.51 0.53 0.28 0.30 0.30 0.25 0.27 0.27 0.41
Hf 3.42 1.54 1.72 3.44 2.38 2.87 1.85 3.71 1.94 2.42 1.70 1.30 2.45 3.08
Ta 1.35 0.42 0.52 0.74 0.67 1.12 0.62 1.25 0.77 0.61 0.62 0.54 0.57 2.48
Th 4.83 2.71 3.00 5.31 5.39 4.61 4.07 4.39 2.51 6.70 3.67 4.36 2.77 4.51

SPG-type WP IA IA WP-IA WP-IA IA IA WP WP IA IA IA IA WP

87 86
Sr/ Sr 0.704821 0.704016 0.704024 0.704271 0.704111 0.704032 0.704914 0.704817 0.703874 0.704021 0.703996
^11 ^11 ^12 ^9 ^9 ^10 ^16 ^8 ^15 ^8 ^8

Age 22±6 6.3±3 6.3±3 6.3±3 6.3±3 1.42 1.42 4.1 , 1.1 Ma(3) Holocene(4) Holocene(4) Holocene(4) 0.7 Ma(5) 0.7 Ma(5)
ka(1) ka(2) ka(2) ka(2) ka(2) ^0.08 Ma(3) ^0.08 Ma(3) ^1.1 Ma(3)

103
104 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
Fig. 2. Spidergram patterns of volcanic rocks from the Beppu±
Shimabara graben system. (A) WP-type patterns of the Oninomi-
yama basalt (BO-1) from the Beppu area and a basalt (S-3) from the
Shimabara area. (B) IA-type (KH-1, -2) and intermediate type (WP-
IA: KH-3,-4) patterns from the Kuju area. (C) IA-type (S-1, -2) and
WP-type (S-3, -4) patterns from the Shimabara area. The values of
primordial mantle are from Wood et al. (1981).
Spidergrams composed of 16 elements following
Wood et al. (1981) are used for our discussion. Fig.
2 shows the spidergrams of the volcanic rocks from
the graben system. BO-1 has a WP-type spidergram
pattern absent negative anomalies of incompatible
elements such as Nb, Zr, and Ti (Fig. 2A). This
supports the results of Ohta et al. (1992) who reported
the existence of WP-type basalt associated with the
dominant IA-type volcanic rocks in this area. On the
other hand, S-1 and 2 (andesites) show the IA-type
pattern with clearly negative anomalies of Nb and Ti,
whereas S-3 and 4 (basalts) give the patterns of WP-
type rocks without such negative Nb, Zr, and Ti
anomalies (Fig. 2C). It is noteworthy that the basalts,
BO-1 (Beppu) and S-3 (Shimabara), at both ends of
the graben have almost similar patterns of WP-type
(Fig. 2A). These WP-type patterns show slightly
negative anomalies of Ta and Hf. These slight anoma-
lies can also be found in the spidergram of GSJ rock
reference sample, JB-1a, a WP-type basalt from
northwest Kyushu (Kitamatsuura area), based on the
compilation data by Imai et al. (1995). Therefore,
such anomalies may be characteristic of basalts in
northwest Kyushu, suggesting that these basalts are
not true WP-type but near the end-member of that
category. On the other hand, the basalts (KH-1 and
2) from the Kuju area give IA-type patterns with
distinctly negative anomalies of Nb, Zr, and Hf (Fig.
2B), supporting the results of Nakada and Kamata
(1988). However, we identi®ed the intermediate
WP-IA-type in andesites (KH-3 and 4) with patterns
intermediate between WP- and IA-types characterized
by negative Nb anomalies and positive Zr anomalies
(Fig. 2B).
Fig. 3 shows a Zr±Nb±Y discrimination diagram
(Meschede, 1986). BO-1, and S-3 and 4, which have
WP-type patterns on Fig. 2, plot in the ®elds of within-
plate alkali basalts (WPA) and within-plate tholeiites
(WPT), whereas KH-1 and 2, and S-1 and 2 which
have IA-type patterns on Fig. 2, plot in the ®eld of
volcanic arc basalts (VAB). On the other hand, KH-3
and 4, which have intermediate WP-IA-type patterns
on Fig. 2, fall within the boundary area between WPT
and VAB. This is consistent with the observation that
KH-3 and 4 are petrographically different from KH-1
and 2 (Table 1). For example, the former have hyalo-
ophitic textures and dusty plagioclase phenocrysts,
whereas the latter have intergranular and intersertal
textures and clear plagioclase phenocrysts. The
textures are thus in accord with the existence of differ-
ent magma types in Kuju area. Therefore, chemical
and petrological signatures of volcanic rocks indicate
that the coexistence of WP- and IA-type rocks is
 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
Fig. 3. Zr±Nb±Y discrimination diagram of volcanic rocks from the Beppu±Shimabara graben system and Aso area. The boundaries between
several ®elds are after Meschede (1986). WPA: within-plate alkali basalts; WPT: within-plate tholeiites; VAB: volcanic arc basalts; N-MORB:
N-type mid-ocean ridge basalts; P-MORB: P-type mid-ocean ridge basalts.
common to all volcanic areas in the Beppu±Shima-
bara graben system.
4. Relationship between spidergram patterns and
87
Sr/ 86Sr ratios of volcanic rocks from the graben
system
The spatial variations of 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios for late-
Cenozoic basalts (ca. ,12 Ma) in the southwest
Japan have been reported by Kakubuchi et al.
(1995), based on the data compiled from other studies
(Matsuhisa and Kurasawa, 1983; Kurasawa, 1984a,b,
1985; Kagami et al., 1986; Yanagi et al., 1988; Morris
and Kagami, 1989; Fujibayashi et al., 1989; Notsu et
al., 1990; Nagao et al., 1990; Nakamura et al., 1990;
Kakubuchi et al., 1994). According to Kakubuchi et
al. (1995), the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios in northern and north-
western Kyushu range widely from 0.7036 to 0.7054.
However, more radiogenic basalts (.0.7050) have
erupted only on the seaside of northern Kyushu
most distant from Beppu±Shimabara graben system
(Fig. 1).
The IA-type andesites (S-1 and 2) from the Shima-
105
bara area give 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of 0.7041 and 0.7040,
much lower than those (0.7049 and 0.7048) of the
associated WP-type basalts (S-3 and 4) (Table 2). It
is notable that the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of 0.7040 and
0.7049 are similar to the lowest and highest values
of basalts for all of northern and northwestern
Kyushu. Also in the Beppu area, the same Sr isotopic
relationship between the IA- and WP-type rocks was
found. The WP-type basalt (BO-1) has a 87Sr/ 86Sr
ratio of 0.7048 higher than those (0.7039±0.7041) of
IA-type andesites with SiO2 contents lower than about
60% reported by Ohta and Aoki (1991). It can be
emphasized that WP-type basalts at both ends of the
graben system give 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios similar to each
other and the same thing can be said of IA-type ande-
sites. Besides, the IA-type basalts from the Kuju area
(KH-1 and 2) give 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of 0.7040, similar to
those (0.7039±0.7041) of IA-type andesites from the
Beppu and Shimabara areas. On the other hand, the
WP-IA-type Kuju andesite (KH-4) has a 87Sr/ 86Sr
ratio of 0.7043, intermediate between WP- and IA-
type rocks within the graben system in terms of both
87
Sr/ 86Sr ratio and spidergram pattern. Furthermore,
Kurasawa (1984a) reported that 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of
106 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109

Fig. 4. The spidergram patterns of basalts from the Aso area. The values of primordial mantle are from Wood et al. (1981).

volcanic rocks from Kuju area are clustered in the
range from 0.7040 to 0.7044 with an exception of
0.7050. This exceptional value is similar to the highest
value in and around the graben, suggesting WP-type
magma in Kuju area. These results indicate that there
is a common relationship between the spidergram
patterns of volcanic rocks within the graben system,
their positions on the Nb±Zr±Y discrimination
diagram, and their 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios.
The genesis of IA-type andesites from the Shima-
bara area has been explained by the mixing of WP-
type basalt magmas with felsic magmas generated by
anatexis of the lower crust (Nakada and Kamata,
1988). However, Shibata and Ishihara (1979) reported
that the 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of the crustal materials in this
region are higher than 0.7040. The mixing model is
unlikely, therefore, because andesites from the Shima-
bara area have the lowest 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios in the region,
lower than those of both the associated WP-type
basalts and crustal materials. Furthermore, basalts
from the Aso area related to subduction of the Philip-
pine Sea plate beneath the Ryukyu arc show IA-type
spidergram patterns (Fig. 4). They also give low
87
Sr/ 86Sr ratios of 0.7039±0.7040 similar to those of

Fig. 5. Relation between 87Sr/ 86Sr and Nb/Y ratios of volcanic rocks from the Beppu±Shimabara graben system and Aso area.
 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
Fig. 6. The spidergram patterns of basalts from Sendai areas (Fig.
1). The values of primordial mantle are from Wood et al. (1981).
IA-type rocks found within the Beppu±Shimabara
graben system (Table 1). Thus, 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of
IA-type magmas from Shimabara, Beppu, Kuju, and
Aso areas related to subduction of the Philippine Sea
plate beneath Kyushu island are similar to each other
and have the lowest 87Sr/ 86Sr signatures of any rock
type found in north Kyushu.
Fig. 5 shows the relationship between 87Sr/ 86Sr
ratios of volcanic rocks and their Nb/Y ratios. The
87
Sr/ 86Sr and Nb/Y ratios of WP-type magmas (BO-
1, and S-3 and 4) fall within the highest values
recorded for both parameters in northwestern Kyushu
(Kakubuchi et al., 1995), and can be distinguished
clearly from IA-type magmas (S-1 and 2, KH-1 and
2, and Aso) with the lowest values for both. Those of
WP-IA-type magmas (KH-3 and 4) from the Kuju
area have intermediate values for both parameters.
Therefore, it can be inferred that two different
magmas, the WP- and IA-types, ascend independently
from the upper mantle to feed each volcanic area
within the Beppu±Shimabara graben system.
5. Similar eruption ages of WP- and IA-type
magmas
Nakada and Kamata (1988) reported that the basalts
of WP-type (S-3 and 4) from the Shimabara area have
ages of 4.1 ^ 1.1 and ,2 Ma, respectively. Further-
more, in that paper, they inferred the age of S-4
(Atagoyama) to be similar to that (1.11 ^ 0.07 Ma)
of Uwabaru basalt plateau about 5 km to the east,
107
based on stratigraphical correlation. On the other
hand, the andesites of IA-type (S-1 and 2) yield ages
of 1.42 ^ 0.08 Ma similar to that of S-4 (Nakada and
Kamata, 1988) (Table 2). Andesites and basalts from
Mt. Hiijidake of the Kuju area have ages of 6.3±3 ka
(Ohta, 1991), whereas the Oninomiyama basalt of
WP-type from the Yufu±Tsurumi volcanoes in the
Beppu area has an age of 22±6 ka (Ohta et al.,
1992), and the associated andesites of IA-type have
ages of 35±2 ka (Kobayashi, 1984).
According to Nakada and Kamata (1988, 1991), the
upper mantle beneath northwest and central Kyushu
started to be contaminated by the subducting slab of
the Philippine Sea plate at 5-3 Ma. After 2 Ma,
contamination of the mantle had been completed in
the areas nearest to the trench such as Beppu and
Kuju, leading to eruptions of the IA-type magmas.
However, in the Beppu and Kuju areas, not only IA-
type magmas but also WP-type magmas erupted in the
late Pleistocene and Holocene. The eruption ages of
WP-type magmas are younger in the east part of the
graben system than in the west. Furthermore, also in
the Shimabara area, which is the most distant from the
trench, IA-type magmas were erupting contempora-
neously with WP-type magmas in the early Quater-
nary (about 1.4±1.1 Ma). Therefore, it can be
concluded that contemporaneous ascent and eruption
of WP- and IA-type magmas is a characteristic
common to volcanic areas throughout the Beppu±
Shimabara graben system.
South Kyushu is in¯uenced by both the subduction
zone of the Philippine Sea plate and the rift systems of
East Asia. From the Sendai region, located on the
back-arc (western) side of south Kyushu near the
Okinawa Trough (Fig. 1), we analyzed WP-type
basalt and IA-type basalt from the Nakayama and
Yaeyama areas, respectively (Fig. 6) (NAKA and
YAE in Table 2). These basalts give the same age
of about 0.7 Ma (Miyachi, 1982). The WP- and IA-
type magmas erupted contemporaneously within the
fault zone in this area as they did throughout the
Beppu±Shimabara graben system. These results indi-
cate that perhaps other grabens and faults in exten-
sional provinces related to subduction zones of
Kyushu island can become preferable channels for
the simultaneous ascents of WP- and IA-type
magmas; at least the Beppu±Shimabara graben
system is not unique.
108 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
6. Concluding remarks
It has been reported that in the continental margin
arcs of the United States and Mexico, volcanic rocks
of IA-type and WP-type (intraplate-type) have
concurrently erupted. In the southern Washington
part of the Cascade range, late-Pliocene to Recent
volcanic rocks erupted from aligned vents, showing
that the volcanism is fault-controlled (Leeman et al.,
1990; Borg et al., 1997). In western Mexico, inland
from the Middle America trench, WP- and IA-type
magmas erupted in close proximity in the Quaternary
only in a graben and related to the Plio-Quaternary
rifting (Nelson and Carmichael, 1984; Verma and
Nelson, 1989; Luhr, 1997). In particular, the volca-
noes within the Beppu±Shimabara graben system
give the best magmatic analogue to Sanganguey
volcano and its ¯ank cones within the Tepic±
Zacoalco Rift Zone, which forms the NE border of
the Jalisco Block. The former produced calc-alkaline
magmas (IA-type) and the latter erupted both calc-
alkaline (IA) magmas and WP-type magmas (Nelson
and Carmichael, 1984; Verma and Nelson, 1989).
Therefore, it can be concluded that the contempora-
neous ascent of WP- and IA-type magmas in the same
volcanic area is a common signature of magmatism
within graben and along faults developed in rifting
areas adjacent to subduction zones worldwide.
Acknowledgements
This work was partially supported by a grant from
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology (Nos. 06222204 and 06640627).
References
Bacon, C.R., Bruggman, P.E., Christiansen, R.L., Clynne, M.A.,
Donnelly-Nolan, J.M., Hildreth, W., 1997. Primitive magmas
at ®ve Cascade volcanic ®elds: Melts from hot, heterogeneous
sub-arc mantle. Can. Mineral. 35, 397±423.
Borg, L.E., Clynne, M.A., Bullen, T.D., 1997. The variable role of
slab-derived ¯uids in the generation of a suite of primitive calc-
alkaline lavas from the southernmost Cascades, California. Can.
Mineral. 35, 425±452.
Carmichael, I.S.E., Lange, R.A., Luhr, J.F., 1996. Quaternary mine-
ttes and associated volcanic rocks of Mascota, western Mexico:
a consequence of plate extension above a subduction modi®ed
mantle wedge. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 124, 302±333.
Conrey, R.M., Sherrod, R., Hooper, P.R., Swanson, D.A., 1997.
Diverse primitive magmas in the Cascade arc, northern Oregon
and southern Washington. Can. Mineral. 35, 367±396.
Fujibayashi, N., Nagao, T., Kagami, H., Iwata, M., Tazaki, K.,
1989. Spatial variation in the Sr and Nd isotope compositions
of Cenozoic alkali basaltic lavas from the Chugoku District, SW
Japan. J. Miner. Petr. Econ. Geol. 84, 429±443.
Imai, N., Terashima, S., Itoh, S., Ando, A., 1995. 1994 compilation
values for GSJ reference samples ªIgneous rock seriesº .
Geochem. J. 29, 91±95.
Kagami, H., Iwata, M., Takahashi, E., 1986. Isotopic evidence for
primitive mantle beneath the Sea of Japan, a young back arc
basin. Tech. Rep. ISEI. Okayama Univ., Ser. A, 7, 13.
Kakubuchi, S., Nagao, T., Kagami, H., 1994. Genetic relationship
between tholeiite and alkali basalts of the Kitamatsuura basalts,
northwestern Kyushu, Japan. J. Miner. Petr. Econ. Geol. 89,
41±55 (in Japanese).
Kakubuchi, S., Nagao, T., Kagami, H., Fujibayashi, N., 1995.
Chemical and isotopic characteristics of the source mantle for
late Cenozoic basalts in southwest Japan. Mem. Geol. Soc. Jpn
44, 321±335 (in Japanese).
Kimura, M., 1990. Genesis and formation of the Okinawa Trough,
Japan. Mem. Geol. Soc. Jpn. 34, 77±88 (in Japanese).
Kita, I., 1997. Magmatism within the Beppu±Shimabara graben
based on the chemical signatures of magmatic gases and volca-
nic rocks. Chikyu Monthly, Memorial volume for the retirement
of Prof. Wakita, H., special no. 18, 42±47 (in Japanese).
Kobayashi, T., 1984. Geology of Yufu±Tsurumi volcanoes and
their latest eruptions. Mem. Geol. Soc. Jpn. 24, 93±108 (in
Japanese).
Kurasawa, H., 1984a. Strontium isotopic ratios of the volcanic rocks
in the western part of the San-in region and the surrounding area,
southwest Japan. Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Jpn. 29, 215±234 (in
Japanese).
Kurasawa, H., 1984b. Strontium isotopic ratios of the volcanic
rocks from Dogo of the Oki Island, Japan. J. Miner. Petr.
Econ. Geol. 79, 484±497 (in Japanese).
Kurasawa, H., 1985. Strontium isotopic composition of the volcanic
rocks from Unzen, Tara, Kumamoto±Kimpo areas in Kyushu,
southwest Japan. Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Jpn. 30, 273±286 (in
Japanese).
Leeman, W.P., Smith, D.R., Hildreth, W., Palacz, Z., Rogers, N.,
1990. Compositional diversity of Late Cenozoic basalts in a
transect across the southern Washington Cascades: implications
for subduction zone magmatism. J. Geophys. Res. 95, 19561±
19582.
Luhr, J.F., 1997. Extensional tectonics and the diverse primitive
volcanic rocks in the western Mexican volcanic belt. Can.
Mineral. 35, 473±500.
Matsuhisa, Y., Kurasawa, H., 1983. Oxygen and strontium isotopic
characteristics of calc-alkalic rocks from the central and western
Japan arcs: evaluation of contribution of crustal components to
the magmas. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 18, 483±510.
Meschede, M., 1986. A method of discriminating between different
types of mid-ocean ridge basalts and continental tholeiites with
the Nb±Zr±Y diagram. Chem. Geol. 56, 207±218.
Mitsunami, T., 1992. Geophysics. In: Karakida, Y., Hayasaka, S.,
 I. Kita et al. / Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 111 (2001) 99±109
Hase, Y. (Eds.), Regional Geology of Japan, part 9, KYUSHU,
Kyoritsu, Tokyo, pp. 303±310 (in Japanese).
Miyachi, M., 1982. Fission-track ages of some volcanic rocks in the
Yaeyama area Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. J. Miner. Petr.
Econ. Geol. 77, 410±415.
Morris, P.A., Kagami, H., 1989. Nd and Sr isotope systematics of
Miocene to Holocene volcanic rocks from Southwest Japan:
volcanism since the opening of the Japan Sea. Earth Planet.
Sci. Lett. 92, 335±346.
Nagao, T., Fujibayashi, N., Kagami, H., Tazaki, K., Takata, S.,
1990. Origin of the Sr-rich Cenozoic alkali basalts in Yokota
area, Chugoku Mountain, Southwest Japan. J. Geol. Soc. Jpn.
96, 795±803 (in Japanese).
Nakada, S., 1986. Comparative study of chemistry of rocks from the
Kirishima and the Daisen volcanic belts in Kyushu, Southwest
Japan. Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Jpn. 31, 95±110 (in Japanese).
Nakada, S., Kamata, H., 1988. Petrogenetical relationship of basalts
and andesites in southern part of the Shimabara peninsula,
Kyushu, Japan. Bull. Volcanol. Soc. Jpn. 33, 273±289 (in
Japanese).
Nakada, S., Kamata, H., 1991. Temporal change in chemistry of
magma source under Central Kyushu Southwest Japan: progres-
sive contamination of mantle wedge. Bull. Volcanol. 53, 182±
194.
Nakamura, E., McCulloch, M.T., Campbell, I.H., 1990. Chemical
geodynamics in the back-arc region of Japan based on the trace
element and Sr±Nd isotopic compositions. Tectonophysics 174,
207±233.
Nelson, S.A., Carmichael, I.S.E., 1984. Pleistocene to recent alkalic
volcanism in the region of Sanganguey volcano Nayarit,
Mexico. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 85, 321±335.
Notsu, K., Arakawa, Y., Kobayashi, T., 1990. Strontium isotopic
characteristics of arc volcanic rocks at the initial stage of
subduction in western, Japan. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 40,
181±196.
Ohta, T., 1991. The evolutional history of the eastern and the central
109
area of Kuju volcano group. J. Miner. Petr. Econ. Geol. 86,
243±263 (in Japanese).
Ohta, T., Aoki, K., 1991. Origin of andesitic magma in Yufu±Tsur-
umi volcano group Ð a binary mixing model. J. Miner. Petr.
Econ. Geol. 86, 1±15 (in Japanese).
Ohta, T., Hasenaka, T., Ban, M., Sasaki, M., 1992. Characteristic
geology and petrology of non-arc type volcanism at Oninomi
monogenetic volcano, Yufu±Tsurumi Graben. Bull. Volcanol.
Soc. Jpn. 37, 119±131 (in Japanese).
Ono, K., Watanabe, K., 1985. Geology of the Aso volcano. Geol.
Surv. Jpn. 145 (in Japanese).
Pearce, J.A., 1983. Role of the sub-continental lithosphere in
magma genesis at active continental margins. In: Hawkesworth,
C.J., Norry, M.J. (Eds.), Continental Basalts and Mantle Xeno-
liths. Shiva, Cambridge. pp. 230±249.
Shibata, K., Ishihara, S., 1979. Initial 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios of plutonic
rocks from Japan. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 70, 381±390.
Tada, T., 1985. Spreading of the Okinawa Trough and its relation to
the crustal deformation in the Kyushu (2). Zisin 38, 1±12 (in
Japanese).
Verma, S.P., Nelson, S.A., 1989. Isotopic and trace element
constraints on the origin and evolution of alkaline and calc-
alkaline magmas in the northwestern Mexican Volcanic Belt.
J. Geophys. Res. 94, 4531±4544.
Wood, D.A., Tarney, J., Weaver, B.L., 1981. Trace element varia-
tions in Atlantic ocean basalts and Proterozoic dykes from
northwest Scotland: their bearing upon the nature and geochem-
ical evolution of the upper mantle. Tectonophysics 75, 91±112.
Yanagi, T., Arikawa, H., Hamamoto, R., Hirano, I., 1988. Petrolo-
gical implications of strontium isotope compositions of the
Kinpo volcanic rocks in Southwest Japan: ascent of the
magma chamber by assimilating the lower crust. Geochem. J.
22, 237±248.
Zhou, X.H., Zhu, B.Q., Liu, R.X., Chen, W.J., 1988. Cenozoic
basaltic rocks in eastern China. In: Macdougall, J.D. (Ed.),
Kluwer, ªContinental ¯ood basaltsº. Lodon, pp. 311±330.