We compiled subduction input and arc output data to investigate the subduction recycling process, and the most striking feature of the output lavas from the SCA is that the relatively recent origin (late Miocene, ~6 Ma) lavas have similar isotopic and trace element compositions to the Galapagos-OIB lavas (
Gazel et al., 2009,
2011). Therefore, previous studies have presented several models to explain these geochemical characteristics.
Abratis and Woner (2001) suggested that there is a slab window in the subducting Cocos Plate, which allows the OIB-type asthenosphere mantle into the mantle wedge under the SCA.
Feigenson et al. (2004) proposed that the OIB signature is from residual Galapagos component after the formation of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP).
Goss and Kay (2006) explained the OIB signature by subduction erosion, which carried the accreted Galapagos material (upper plate basement) into the mantle wedge.
Gazel et al. (2011) suggested that slab detachment allowed the hotter asthenosphere flow into the mantle wedge. This could explain the OIB signature as a result of mixture between mantle melts and slab melts from the subducting Galapagos tracks (Cocos Ridge and seamount province). However, the Tl and Be isotopes for arc lavas from Costa Rica have revealed either attenuated or limited evidence of the presence of sediments in their mantle source regions (
Nielsen et al., 2017;
Tera et al., 1986). In this study, we discuss whether the sediments from subducting Cocos Ridge segment have influenced the SCA arc lavas. Therefore, we compiled data for all of the subduction components, including subducted sediments, rocks from Galapagos tracks (Cocos Ridge and seamount province), and upper plate basement materials. Owing to the fact that basement rocks have not been obtained from the sites on the upper plate, we chose the coarse grain sizes from bottom units of the upper plate sites and the Costa Rica fore-arc CLIP oceanic complexes to represent the basement of the upper plate (
Gazel et al., 2009;
Straub et al., 2015). In
Fig. 8, the high Pb/Ce, Ba/Th, and Ba/Nb content ratios of arc lavas could be derived from the subducted sediments, because the subducted sediments show higher Pb/Ce, Ba/Th, and Ba/Nb content ratios than arc lavas among the subduction end-members. It may indicate that these geochemical variations could contribute to the mixing of depleted MORB mantle (DMM) and subducted sediments (
Figs 8a and
b). Meanwhile, some <6 Ma lavas with lower Pb/Ce content ratio than DMM were influenced by the Cocos Ridge and/or upper plate components, which was caused by the change of subduction style as the model proposed by the
Gazel et al. (2011) or
Goss and Kay (2006). We could not determine which model is right from graphs of element ratios, which needs some more work to addressed in the future. Besides, Th/Nb and Th/La content ratios could indicate sediments melt (
Pearce et al., 2005;
Plank, 2005;
Yan et al., 2019), so the subducted sediments influenced the arc lavas in the form of melts (
Figs 8c and
d). It should be noted that the arc lavas have higher Th/Nb content ratios than that in the subduction components, which may be due to the variational degree of melting and fractional crystallization. We cannot quantify the addition of subducted sediments added to the arc magmas, which requires a combination of various indicators (radioactive isotopes and stable isotopes) and geophysical methods to limit the influence of each subduction component to the arc lavas of the SCA. It is worth noting that the NCA subducted sediments may have also influenced the genesis of the SCA arc lavas as shown in
Fig. 8. However, as mentioned above, there are some geochemical differences between the NCA and SCA subducted sediments as the different sedimentary environment, which would not cause the obvious difference in elements ratios. Therefore, the appropriate end-member of subducted sediments is important for the subduction recycling process.