K-Ar age of the plutonic rock fragments discovered from the Deception Island and its geologic implication

Abstract

Many plutonic rock fragments of granitic composition were collected from the Deception Island. We obtained K-Ar ages of 62.5±1.2 Ma and 140.7±2.7 Ma from the two samples. Such result contradicts the general belief that most of the volcanic rocks of Deception Island are products of very recent activities and their maximum age does not exceed 200 ka. On the other hand, Mesozoic to Cenozoic rocks produced by subduction-related active magmatism have been reported from both South Shetland Islands and Antartic Peninsula, located to the north and south of the Deception Island respectively. Also, various kinds of plutonic rocks with granitic composition are distributed widely. Therefore, plutonic rock fragments with granitic composition discovered from the Deception Island seem to indicate their derivation by capturing granitic crustal material underlying volcanic edifice during the volcanic activities, instead of differentiation from magmas related with recent volcanism. Ages and rock types of the plutonic rock fragments suggest arc-related origin just as adjacent South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninasula.