Reconstruction of the Talkeetna intraoceanic arc of Alaska through thermobarometry

The Talkeetna arc is one of two intraoceanic arcs where much of the section from the upper mantle through the volcanic carapace is well exposed. We reconstruct the vertical section of the Talkeetna arc by determining the (re) crystallization pressures at various structural levels. The thermobarometry shows that the tonalites and quartz diorites intruded at similar to 5-9 km into a volcanic section estimated from stratigraphy to be 7 km thick. The shallowest, Tazlina and Barnette, gabbros crystallized at similar to 17-24 km; the Klanelneechena Klippe crystallized at similar to 24-26 km; and the base of the arc crystallized at similar to 35 km depth. The arc had a volcanic: plutonic ratio of similar to 1:3-1:4. However, many or most of the felsic plutonic rocks may represent crystallized liquids rather than cumulates so that the liquid: cumulate ratio might be 1:2 or larger. The current 5- to 7-km structural thickness of the plutonic section of the arc is similar to 15-30% of the original 23- to 28-km thickness. The bulk composition of the original Talkeetna arc section was similar to 51-58 wt% SiO2.