Structural Geology and Chronology of Shear Zones along the Shangdan Suture in Qinling Orogenic Belt,China:Implications for Late Mesozoic Intra-Continental Deformation of East Asia

The Shangdan suture zone(SDZ)in the Qinling orogenic belt(QOB)is a key to understanding the East Asia tectonic evolution.The SDZ gives information about convergent processes between the North China Block(NCB)and South China Block(SCB).In the Late Mesozoic,several shear zones evolved along the SDZ boundary that helps us comprehend the collisional deformation between the NCB and SCB,which was neglected in previous studies.These shear zones play an essential role in the tectonic evolution of the East Asia continents.This study focuses on the deformation and geochronology of two shear zones distributed along the SDZ,identified in the Shaliangzi and Maanqiao areas.The shear sense indicators and kinematic vorticity numbers(0.54–0.90)suggest these shear zones have sinistral shear and sub-simple shear deformation kinematics.The quartz’s dynamic recrystallization and c-axis fabric analysis in the Maanqiao shear zone(MSZ)revealed that the MSZ experienced deformation under green-schist facies conditions at∼400–500℃.The Shaliangzi shear zone deformed under amphibolite facies at∼500–700℃.The^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar(muscovite-biotite)dating of samples provided a plateau age of 121–123 Ma.Together with previously published data,our results concluded that QOB was dominated by compressional tectonics during the Late Early Cretaceous.Moreover,we suggested that the Siberian Block moved back to the south and Lhasa-Qiantang-Indochina Block to the north,which promoted intra-continental compressional tectonics.

Early Mesozoic structural deformation in the Chuandian N-S Tectonic Belt,China

The Helan-Chuandian N-S Tectonic Belt is a mantle transitional belt in China. The southem part, forming the Chuandian N-S Tectonic Belt, comprises several tectonic systems, each displaying different characteristics. The Chuandian N-S Tectonic Belt along the western margin of yangtze Block is a strike-slip tectonic belt with a series of echelon left-lateral slip faults. The strike-slip fault systems experienced two stages of structural deformation： early NW-SE striking thrust faults formed under a NE-SW compression stress field, and later sinistral strike-slip structures formed along thrust faults under a NW-SE compression stress field. Mesozoic basins developed between the left-lateral slip faults. Sedimentary facies and paleocurrent directions indicate that basin development was controlled by the strike-slip faults. The oldest strata in the Chuandian N-S Tectonic Belt constrain its formation to early Mesozoic. In fact, The slip tectonic belt formed by clockwise rotation and north-directed subduction-collision of the Yangtze Block in Late Triassic-Jurassic. The strike-slip faults that developed within the belt also formed at this time.

THRUST NAPPE STRUTRUE IN THE JINGGANG MOUNTAIN: CHARACTERISTICS AND SIGNIFICANCE FOR PROSPECTION OF ORE DEPOSITS

Nappe structure, as was first discovered by the authors during the regional geological survey at the scale of 1:50,000 in The Jinggang Mountain, is mainly comprised of a series of NNE-NE-striking thrust fault zones and thrust sheets among them. Sinian, Cambrian, Ordovician, Devonian, Carboniferous,Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous strata are involved in the thrust nappe system. The nappe structure is of the type of duplex structures formed as a result of the earlier stage migration from SE to NW and late stage migration from E to W of sedimentary cover or basement strata. Formation of the nappe structure in the studied area involves two main epochs: Early Yanshanian and Late Yanshanian to Early Himalayan. The mineral deposits and the buried coalfields in the area, especially the latter, are extensively controlled by the nappe structure.