Izu–Bonin–Mariana arc

The Izu–Bonin–Mariana arc is a volcanic island-arc system formed as the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the Philippine Sea Plate, extending from Japan to the Mariana Islands.

Izu–Bonin–Mariana Trench: A deep ocean trench marking the boundary where the Pacific Plate descends beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. It traces the subduction boundary that generates the arc.
Subduction initiation: The onset of one tectonic plate descending beneath another. The arc’s early history is a key record of this process.
Izu Islands: A volcanic island chain south of Honshu, Japan, forming the northern part of the Izu–Bonin arc. They exemplify the arc’s northern volcanic island segment.
Robert L. Fisher: An American marine geologist known for research on Pacific island arcs and ocean-floor geology. His work helped characterize the geology of the Mariana region.
Subduction: The descent of one tectonic plate beneath another into the mantle. The arc is a direct product of Pacific Plate subduction.
Izu–Bonin forearc: The region between the Izu–Bonin volcanic front and the trench, exposing rocks from early arc development. Its rock sequence preserves the arc’s earliest magmatic stages.
Bonin Islands: A remote volcanic island group in the western Pacific, also known as the Ogasawara Islands. Their forearc rocks preserve clues to early arc formation.
Deep Sea Drilling Project: An international scientific program that drilled the ocean floor to study Earth’s history and structure. Its cores from the region informed reconstructions of back-arc basin development.
Island arc: A curved chain of volcanic islands formed above an oceanic subduction zone. This system is a major example of the island-arc form.
Shikoku Basin: A back-arc basin west of the Izu–Bonin arc, created by seafloor spreading. Its opening accompanied extension and separation of the arc.

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