Metabasites of the Yap archipelago, western Pacific

Geoscience Research Reports 40, 2007 (GRR for 2006), pages 144–147

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Abstract

The Yap archipelago, western Caroline Islands, belongs to scarce oceanic islands where metamorphosed rocks occur. High-Mg basaltic rocks transformed into metabasites of greenschist up to amphibolite facies come here on the surface. Most of them must be classified as picrites according to IUGS rules. Their low PT and dynamic metamorphism can be attributed neither to ocean floor alterations nor to subduction effects but rather as overthrusted barrier of the backarc oceanic lithosphere of E-MORB type.