Work

Slab thermal transitions in the Aeolian arc driven by sub-slab mantle upwelling in the early Pleistocene

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Slab tearing and associated asthenospheric upwelling can profoundly affect arc magmatism by heating subducting slabs, yet continuous temporal magmatic records for such slab thermal perturbations remain elusive. Here, we document a magmatic shift in Stromboli volcano, eastern Aeolian arc, where potassium-rich rocks emerged since ~ 13,000 years ago and show isotopic and elemental evidence for high-temperature sediment melting. In contrast, rocks with ages > 13,000 years across the arc record incorporation of bulk sediment without experiencing obvious melting, consistent with a cold subduction setting. These results evidence a transition from cold-slab to hot-slab, linked to a mantle upwelling induced by slab tearing occurred in the early Pleistocene. This tectono-magmatic coupling accounts for the southeastward progression of potassium-rich volcanism across the Italian Peninsula, which coincides with tomographically and topographically inferred slab-tearing propagation. Our results demonstrate rapid (<1-2 million years) magmatic response to sub-slab mantle upwelling and offer critical insights into the drivers of recent volcanism in southeastern Italy, including Mount Vesuvius.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75562-z

Authors: Yuxiang Zhang, Valeria Di Renzo, Shichao An, Yuqi Li

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Ocean University of China, University of Naples Federico II, Nanjing University

Language: English

Topic: Geological and Geochemical Analysis

Subfield: Geophysics

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,990

Funders: Ocean University of China, National Science and Technology Major Project, National Key Research and Development Program of China