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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Nature Communications

Heavy boron isotopes reveal deep carbon recycling in hot subduction zones

  • Hai-Quan Liu1,2,3
  • Feng Tian1
  • Miao-Hong He1
  • Ze-Xian Cui1
  • Le Zhang1
  • Peng-Li He1
  • Lu-Bing Hong4
  • Xiao-Long Huang1,2,3
  • Ilya Bindeman5
  • Kaj Hoernle6,7
  • Yi-Gang Xu1,2,3
7 affiliations
  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Processes and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
  2. 2Guangdong research center for strategic metals and green utilization, Guangzhou, China
  3. 3Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
  4. 4School of Earth Sciences, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China
  5. 5Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR USA
  6. 6GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstraße 1-3, Kiel, Germany
  7. 7Institute of Geosciences, Ludewig-Meyn-Straße 10, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Abstract

The efficiency of deep carbon recycling in hot subduction systems remains debated, with contrasting models predicting either extensive shallow decarbonation or substantial carbonate retention within the subducted slab. Here we present boron-isotope and geochemical data from olivine-hosted melt inclusions in volcanic arc adakites from western Panama and in forearc high-Mg andesites from SW Japan, representing modern and Archean-like hot subduction systems. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions exhibit elevated δ11B values (up to +23.2‰) coupled with high Ce/Pb, La/Yb, Eu/Ti, and Th/Zr ratios, indicating melt contributions from subducted carbonate-bearing lithologies. Integration with regional CO2 flux estimates from western Panama suggests that more than ~60% of slab carbonate escapes shallow decarbonation, likely owing to extensive forearc and arc dehydration causing substantial fluid loss, thereby suppressing fluid-mediated decarbonation beneath both the deeper forearc and arc front. These results demonstrate that substantial carbon can bypass shallow decarbonation in both modern and Archean hot subduction systems.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{liu2026heavy,
  title = {{Heavy boron isotopes reveal deep carbon recycling in hot subduction zones}},
  author = {Hai-Quan Liu and Feng Tian and Miao-Hong He and Ze-Xian Cui and Le Zhang and Peng-Li He and Lu-Bing Hong and Xiao-Long Huang and Ilya Bindeman and Kaj Hoernle and Yi-Gang Xu},
  journal = {Nature Communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78096-6},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78096-6},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Heavy boron isotopes reveal deep carbon recycling in hot subduction zones
AU  - Hai-Quan Liu
AU  - Feng Tian
AU  - Miao-Hong He
AU  - Ze-Xian Cui
AU  - Le Zhang
AU  - Peng-Li He
AU  - Lu-Bing Hong
AU  - Xiao-Long Huang
AU  - Ilya Bindeman
AU  - Kaj Hoernle
AU  - Yi-Gang Xu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/24
JO  - Nature Communications
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-026-78096-6
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78096-6
AB  - The efficiency of deep carbon recycling in hot subduction systems remains debated, with contrasting models predicting either extensive shallow decarbonation or substantial carbonate retention within the subducted slab. Here we present boron-isotope and geochemical data from olivine-hosted melt inclusions in volcanic arc adakites from western Panama and in forearc high-Mg andesites from SW Japan, representing modern and Archean-like hot subduction systems. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions exhibit elevated δ11B values (up to +23.2‰) coupled with high Ce/Pb, La/Yb, Eu/Ti, and Th/Zr ratios, indicating melt contributions from subducted carbonate-bearing lithologies. Integration with regional CO2 flux estimates from western Panama suggests that more than ~60% of slab carbonate escapes shallow decarbonation, likely owing to extensive forearc and arc dehydration causing substantial fluid loss, thereby suppressing fluid-mediated decarbonation beneath both the deeper forearc and arc front. These results demonstrate that substantial carbon can bypass shallow decarbonation in both modern and Archean hot subduction systems.
SN  - 2041-1723
ER  -