The Kamchatka volcanic arc, which is located at the northern edge of the Kurile arc, consists of three volcanic chains, all parallel to the trench axis. In contrast, most subduction zones have only two subparallel volcanic chains. The third chain in Kamchatka, which is farthest from the trench, is characterized by the occurrence of voluminous plateau lavas; volcanoes in the two chains closer to the trench are stratovolcanoes typical in arc magmatism. The third chain magmatism is also unusual in that lavas show concentrations of incompatible elements intermediate between those in the two trenchward chains. Both the unusual occurrence of the third volcanic chain and the unusual lava chemistry could be caused by partial melting of K‐amphibole bearing peridotites in the downdragged hydrous layer at the base of the mantle wedge under anomalously high‐temperature conditions associated with the characteristic tectonic setting of transform/convergence transition in the region.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.