Across-arc variations in K-isotope ratios in lavas of the Izu arc: Evidence for progressive depletion of the slab in K and similarly mobile elements

•Isotopically heavy K documented in Izu arc front.•Systematic shift to lighter K-isotope ratios in Izu rear arc.•Heavy K may reflect isotopic fractionation in association with slab dehydration.•Across-arc shift may reflect progressive depletion of slab in heavy K.•Potassium-isotope variations in arc lavas may be sensitive tracer of slab processes. In subduction zones, fluids rise from the slab to the mantle, causing metasomatism and flux melting of the mantle to produce arc magmas. The transfer of material from slab to mantle and, in turn, to arc crust is an important control on the long-term chemical evolution of the mantle and continental crust. In this study, we investigate the transport of K in subduction zones by exploring the systematics of K stable-isotope variations in lavas of the Izu arc. We find that the Izu lavas have isotopically heavy K relative to estimates for midocean ridge basalt (MORB)-source upper mantle. Moreover, the δ41K values of the lavas are clearly heavier than those of subducting sediments and are probably heavier than subducting altered ocean crust. An across-arc decrease in δ41K values is apparent. Arc-front lavas are heavier than the mantle by about 0.22‰ (median), whereas rear-arc lavas are heavier by only about 0.08‰ (median). The heavy K-isotope compositions of the arc lavas may arise from isotopic fractionation during slab dehydration, where light K is preferentially retained in phases such as phengite in the slab. The across-arc decrease in δ41K values may be due to progressive breakdown of these phases, and to associated depletion of the slab in heavy K. Variations in the relative contributions of different source materials—igneous ocean crust, sediment, and mantle peridotite—may also play a role. In particular, we explore a possibility, motivated by radiogenic-isotope studies, that the slab signal in K isotopes may be attenuated in the rear arc as a result of extensive fluid-mantle interaction. If K isotopes do track slab dehydration, then K isotopes provide insight into the transfer of K and similarly mobile elements out of the slab and into the upper mantle and arc crust. Lastly, we observe extreme isotopic variations in some of the lavas, which we interpret to result from crustal-level or Earth-surface processes that affect only a subset of the lavas.