Peri-Gondwanan terranes in the Romanian Carpathians:A review of their spatial distribution,origin,provenance,and evolution

The basement of the Romanian Carpathians is made of Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic peri- Gondwanan terranes variably involved in the Variscan orogeny, similarly to other basement terrains of Europe. They were hardly dismembered during the Alpine orogeny and traditionally have their own names in the three Carpathian areas. The Danubian domain of the South Carpathians comprises the Dragsan and Lainici-Paiius peri-Amazonian terranes. The Dragsan terrane originated within the ocean surrounding Rodinia and docked with Rodinia at -800 Ma. It does not contain Cadomian magmatism and consequently it is classified as an Avalonian extra-Cadomian terrane, The Lainici-Pfiius terrane is a Ganderian fragment strongly modified by Cadomian subduction-related magmatism, It is attached to the Moesia platform. The TisoviD terrane is an ophiolite that marks the boundary between Drfagsan and Lainici-Paius terranes. The other basement terranes of the Romanian Carpathians originated close to the Ordovician North- African orogen, as a result of the eastern Rheic Ocean opening and closure. Except for the Sebes-Lotru terrane that includes a lower metamorphic unit of Cadomian age, all the other terranes （Bretila, Tulghes, Negrisoara and Rebra in the East Carpathians, Somes, Biharia and Baia de Aries in the Apuseni mountains, Fagaras, Leaota, Carat and Pades in the South Carpathians） represent late Cambrian-Ordovician rock assemblages. Their provenance, is probably within paleo-nortbeast Africa, close to the Arabian-Nubian shield. The late Cambrian-Ordovician terranes are defined here as Carpathian-type terranes. According to their lithostratigraphy and origin, some are of continental margin magmatic arc setting, whereas others formed in rift and back-arc environment and closed to passive continental margin settings. In a paleo- geographic reconstruction, the continental margin magmatic arc terranes were first that drifted out, followed by the passive continental margin terranes with the back-arc terranes in their front. They accreted to Laurussia during the Variscan orogeny. Some of them （Sebes-Lotru in South Carpathians and Baia de Aries in Apuseni mountains） underwent eclogite-grade metamorphism. The Danubian terranes, the Bretila terrane and the Somes terrane were intruded by Variscan granitoids.

Crustal structure of the Qiangtang and Songpan-Ganzi terranes(eastern Tibet) from the 2-D normalized full gradient of gravity anomaly

Numerous geophysical studies have revealed the lithospheric structure of the Qiangtang and the Songpan-Ganzi terranes in the eastern Tibetan Plateau.However,crust-mantle evolution and crustal response to the Indian lithospheric subduction are still controversial.Answering these questions requires additional information regarding crustal structure.In this study,the 2-D normalized full gradient(NFG)of the Bouguer gravity anomaly was used to investigate anomalous sources and interpret the crustal structure underneath the Qiangtang and Songpan-Ganzi terranes.The NFG-derived structures with loworder harmonic numbers(N=33 and N=43)showed that an anomalous source beneath the southern Qiangtang terrane had a characteristic northeastward-dipping shape,suggesting the northeastward motion of the crustal material induced by underthrusting Indian lithospheric mantle.The NFG images with harmonic number N=53 showed a large-scale anomalous source in the lower crust of the transformational zone from the Qiangtang terrane to the Songpan-Ganzi terrane,consistent with thickening crust and resistance of lower crustal flow.The anomalous source demonstrated by the NFG results with harmonic number N=71,located in the upper crust underneath the Ganzi-Yushu fault,suggested a seismogenic body of the 2010 M6.9 Yushu event.

The Boundary Between Gondwana and Pacifica and the Suturing Ages of Their Allied Terranes in Southwestern China

Two terranes formed since the Late Palaeozoic can be distinguished in southwestern China. One is charac-terized by the Permo-Carboniferous ice-rafted marine gravel-bearing clastic formation and the cold-water faunaof the Gondwana facies, including the Gangmar Co, Lhasa, Sa' gya, Tengchong and Baoshan terranes and theother is marked by the Upper Palaeozoic of the Yangtze type with the Cathaysian flora and the Pacific-typefusulinids, comprising the Changning-Menglian, Shuangjiang-Lancang, Qamdo and Bayan Har terranes. TheLongmu Co-Shuanghu-Dengqen-North Lancang River-Kejie-Mengding suture zone between the two groups ofterranes is the boundary between Gondwana and Pacifica in southwestern China. On the grounds of thesedimentary formation and successive southwestward migration of the Asian nonmarine Jurassic-Cretaceousendemic bivalves, the ages of the suture and some terranes to the southwest of the suture zone are discussed.The Baoshan terrane and the Nyainrong-Sog terrane in the Lhasa composite terrane were firstly pieced togeth-er with the Asian continent in the early Early Jurassic. The northern Tibet-western Yunnan microplate, in-cluding the Gangmar Co, Lhasa and Tengchong terranes, collided with the Asian continent at the end of theEarly Cretaceous Neocomian.

The Crustal Structure and Assembly of Terranes in the Qaidam-Qilian-Beishan Area, Western China

Abstract: Through a study of the geotransect from Golmud to Ejin Qi published recently, the tectonics of the crust beneath the area from the northern Qinghai-Tibet plateau (Qaidam and the Qilian Mountains) to the border between China and Mongolia and its structure, composition and tectonic evolution have been revealed, and abundant information about the deep structures has been provided. Based on the research into the geotransect, it is suggested that the crust in this area was formed by the assembly of the terranes in different geological stages. Following the formation of the Palaeo-Asian continent, the north part of the corridor of the transect became a part of the huge unifying continent by the end of the Early Permian. In the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, as a result of the compression mainly by the push of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau on the south, the unique crustal structure and geomorphologic features on the northern Qinghai-Tibet plateau were formed. This geotransect together with the Yadong-Golmud geotransect constitutes a long geotransect which runs across the western Chinese continent.

The Crustal Shortening and Reconstruction of the Main Terranes Through Mesozoic-Cenozoic in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

It is one of hot issues in Tibetan research that is to study the mode,process and kinetics of the crustal shortening during Mesozoic-Cenozoic.In this paper, on the basis of systematic collection,analysis and research of the existing data and results from Himalayas,Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes,we conducted the balanced cross-section study.In the north Qiangtang,the line-balanced cross-section

EVIDENCE OF ISOTOPIC SYSTEMATICS FROM CRUST AND MANTLE FOR CHEMICAL HETEROGENEITIES OF TERRANES

The extensive tracing of Nd, Sr and Pb isotopes has revealed that there exist high-degree heterogeneities in suboceanic mantle and mantle anomalies of the Southern Hemisphere on a large scale (DUPAL, high 87Sr/86Sr, and HIMU, high μ value, i. e. 238 U/204pb). Recently, the isotopic tracing of the Cenozoic Volcanics from the continent of China has confirmed that there exists a general tendency that the subcontinental mantle of eastern China was en-

Review on the Tectonic Terranes Associated with Metallogenic Zones in Southeast Asia

The paper presents an overview of the relationships between the interior structures of tectonic terranes and the distribution of tectonic-metallogenic zones in Southeast Asia. Episodic tectonic activities occurred in this archipelagic area, generating metallogenic belts in multi-terranes. Since the Late Paleozoic, opening and closure of the Paleotethys and Neotethys led to multiple suture zones between different blocks, mainly between the Indochina terrane, the Nambung terrane, the Sibumasu terrane and the West Myanmar terrane. During the Mesozoic to Cenozoic, the formation of accreted terranes and their related islands was caused by subduction and collision processes between the Pacific and Australian plates toward the Eurasian Continent, forming Sundaland and its affiliated islands, the Philippines and its subsidiary islands, the Papua New Guinea terrane and its related islands and the Sunda epicontinental arc system. Within the margin of terranes resulted in the structural transfer zones, their secondary tectonic units can be divided into island arc belts, back-arc basins, suture zones, marginal fold belts and orogenic belts. The metallogenic assemblages are mainly distributed within these structural zones of the terranes. According to the relationship between these tectonic units and the distribution of mineral resources, the tectonic-metallogenic belts can be divided into 24 metallogenic belts in Southeast Asia. They are characterized by a diversity and frequency of metallogenic material combination which is likely to reflect the complexity of the material distribution during mineralization processes, mostly by the structural transformation during the dissociation-convergence process between multiple terranes. Therefore, the formation of ore deposits was not only restricted by the evolution(opening and closure) of Paleo-and Neotethys, but may also be controlled by the interaction of the terranes with different tectonic attributes which provided multiple sources of metallogenic material.

Thorium anomaly on the lunar surface and its indicative meaning

The Moon has been divided into three terranes:Procellarum KREEP Terrane(PKT),Feldspathic Highland Terrane(FHT),and South Pole-Aitken Terrane(SPAT),using globally measured Th and FeO.Many lunar evolu-tion models have predicted that a lunar magma ocean will produce a residual layer enriched in incompatible elements such as K,REE,and P(i.e.,KREEP)in the late age of crys-tallization;and that the distribution of thorium can be used as a proxy for determining the global distribution of KREEP.The thorium distribution in these three terranes is inhomo-geneous.The highest concentration of thorium is in PKT,the medium concentration of thorium is in SPAT,and almost none in FHT.Then what is the specific distribution in each of the terrane and what enlightenment can it tell us?Here we present and describe the detailed thorium distribution in PKT,SPAT,and FHT and provide some information for the origin of asymmetries on the lunar surface.

Geochronology and Petrogenesis of Late Carboniferous to Early Permian Basalts in the Central Lhasa Subterrane, Southern Tibet: Implications for the Evolution of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean

Basalts from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian are extensively developed in the central Lhasa subterrane, southern Tibet. Studying the petrogenesis of these rocks may have implications for the late Paleozoic arc magmatism along the central Lhasa subterrane uncovering more of the evolution of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean and its dynamic mechanism. Basalt samples from the Luobadui Formation in the Leqingla area, NW of Linzhou City in the central Lhasa subterrane, southern Tibet exhibit arc-like geochemical signatures in a subduction-zone tectonic setting characterized by high Al_(2)O_(3) and low TiO_(2) contents, fractionated REE patterns with low Nb/La ratios and high LREE concentrations, and negative HFSE anomalies. Based on their higher Th/Ce, Nb/Zr, and lower Ba/Th, Pb/Nd ratios, slightly negative to positive ε_(Nd)(t) values, and the relatively high Sr-Pb isotopic compositions, these samples were probably derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle source of garnet + spinel lherzolite, metasomatized by subducted sediments around 297 Ma. Modeling of the trace elements indicates that these basalts experienced fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene and minor plagioclase during magma ascent and eruption. It is proposed that these Late Carboniferous–Early Permian basalts are associated with the northward subduction of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean seafloor along the southern margin of the central Lhasa subterrane.

Extensive Resetting of Feldspar Pb Isotopic Composition in Archean–Paleoproterozoic Granitic Rocks from the Kongling Terrane,South China:Implications for Tracing Thermal Evolutionary History

Feldspar Pb isotopes have been widely used to trace magmatic formation and evolution processes.However,it remains unclear whether post-magmatic thermal events can affect feldspar Pb isotopic ratios.Here,the in situ Pb isotopic composition of feldspar hosted in granitic rocks(thirteen Archean and one Paleoproterozoic)from the northern Kongling terrane,Yangtze Craton,South China,is analyzed.The samples reveal a substantial variation in their Pb isotopic composition,spanning the gap between the 1.9 Ga and present-day geochrons,which indicates extensive resetting by later tectonothermal events.This resetting was interpreted to have likely resulted from Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic tectonothermal events related to the assembly and breakup of the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents.These results suggest that Pb isotopes should be used cautiously when tracing magma sources and petrogenesis in magmatic rocks that have experienced post-magmatic reworking.However,the in situ Pb isotopic composition of feldspar in ancient granitoids may also potentially be used to reveal later tectonothermal events.The extensive resetting of the Pb isotopic composition in feldspar by regional thermal events may also provide new insights into our understanding of the Pb isotope paradox.

P-T-t Path of Mafic Granulite Metamorphism in Northern Tibet and Its Geodynamical Implications

Mafic granulites have been found as structural lenses within the huge thrust system outcropping about 10 km west of Nam Co of the northern Lhasa Terrane, Tibetan Plateau. Petrological evidence from these rocks indicates four distinct metamorphic assemblages. The early metamorphic assemblage (M1) is preserved only in the granulites and represented by plagioclase+hornblende inclusions within the cores of garnet porphyroblasts. The peak assemblage (M2) consists of garnet+clinopyroxene+hornblende+plagioclase in the mafic granulites. The peak metamorphism was followed by near-isothermal decompression (M3), which resulted in the development of hornblende+plagioclase symplectites surrounding embayed garnet porphyroblasts, and decompression-cooling (M4) is represented by minerals of hornblende+plagioclase recrystallized during mylonization. The peak (M2) P-T conditions of garnet+ clinopyroxene+plagioclase+hornblende were estimated at 769-905℃ and 0.86-1.02 GPa based on the geothermometers and geobarometers. The P-T conditions of plagioclase+hornblende symplectites (M3) were estimated at 720-800℃ and 0.55-0.68 GPa, and recrystallized hornblende+plagioclase (M4) at 594-708℃ and 0.26-0.47 GPa. It is impossible to estimate the P-T conditions of the early metamorphic assemblage (M1) because of the absence of modal minerals. The combination of petrographic textures, metamorphic reaction history, thermobarometric data and corresponding isotopic ages defines a clockwise near-isothermal decompression metamorphic path, suggesting that the mafic granulites had undergone initial crustal thickening, subsequent exhumation, and cooling and retrogression. This tectonothermal path is considered to record two major phases of collision which resulted in both the assemblage of Gondwanaland during the Pan-African orogeny at 531 Ma and the collision of the Qiangtang and Lhasa Terranes at 174 Ma, respectively.

The westward lithospheric drift,its role on the subduction and transform zones surrounding Americas:Andean to cordilleran orogenic types cyclicity

We investigate the effect of the westerly rotation of the lithosphere on the active margins that surround the Americas and find good correlations between the inferred easterly-directed mantle counterflow and the main structural grain and kinematics of the Andes and Sandwich arc slabs.In the Andes,the subduction zone is shallow and with low dip,because the mantle flow sustains the slab;the subduction hinge converges relative to the upper plate and generates an uplifting doubly verging orogen.The Sandwich Arc is generated by a westerly-directed SAM(South American) plate subduction where the eastward mantle flow is steepening and retreating the subduction zone.In this context,the slab hinge is retreating relative to the upper plate,generating the backarc basin and a low bathymetry single-verging accretionary prism.In Central America,the Caribbean plate presents a more complex scenario:(a) To the East,the Antilles Arc is generated by westerly directed subduction of the SAM plate,where the eastward mantle flow is steepening and retreating the subduction zone.(b) To the West,the Middle America Trench and Arc are generated by the easterly-directed subduction of the Cocos plate,where the shallow subduction caused by eastward mantle flow in its northern segment gradually steepens to the southern segment as it is infered by the preexisting westerly-directed subduction of the Caribbean Plateau.In the frame of the westerly lithospheric flow,the subduction of a divergent active ridge plays the role of introducing a change in the oceanic/continental plate’s convergence angle,such as in NAM(North American)plate with the collision with the Pacific/Farallon active ridge in the Neogene(Cordilleran orogenic type scenario).The easterly mantle drift sustains strong plate coupling along NAM,showing at Juan de Fuca easterly subducting microplate that the subduction hinge advances relative to the upper plate.This lower/upper plate convergence coupling also applies along strike to the neighbor continental strike slip fault systems where subduction was terminated(San Andreas and Queen Charlotte).The lower/upper plate convergence coupling enables the capture of the continental plate ribbons of Baja California and Yakutat terrane by the Pacific oceanic plate,transporting them along the strike slip fault systems as para-autochthonous terranes.This Cordilleran orogenic type scenario,is also recorded in SAM following the collision with the Aluk/Farallon active ridge in the Paleogene,segmenting SAM margin into the eastwardly subducting Tupac Amaru microplate intercalated between the proto-LiquineOfqui and Atacama strike slip fault systems,where subduction was terminated and para-autochthonous terranes transported.In the Neogene,the convergence of Nazca plate with respect to SAM reinstalls subduction and the present Andean orogenic type scenario.

Ages and Compositions of the Precambrian High-grade Basement of the Qilian Terrane and Its Adjacent Areas

Based on geological, chronological, geochemical and Nd isotopic studies of the high-grade basement of the Qilian terrane, the authors have drawn the following main conclusions: (1) the high-grade basement of the Qilian terrane consists mainly of meta-argillo-arenaceous rocks and granites and its bulk part was formed in the period of 0.8–1.0 Ga (the Jinningian period); (2) most of the meta-argillo-arenaceous rocks and granitic rocks have strong negative Eu and Ba anomalies (Eu/Eu*= 0.47–0.71 and Ba/Ba*=0.16–0.64), with fDM and ENd (1.0 Ga) ranging from 1.87 to 2.26 Ga and from ?8.54 to ?4.06 respectively, showing relatively high maturity; and (3) the Jinningian granitic rocks are a typical product of continent-continent collision, being probably related to the formation of the supercontinent Rodinia. These studies, combined with the study of high-grade basement rocks near the Qilian terrane, suggest that before the Jinningian period, the Qilian-Qaidam northern-margin terrane and Dunhuang-Alxa terrane were separated from each other, belonging to different plate systems of the North China craton and Yangtze platform respectively. The Qilian orogenic belt was the same as or similar to the Qiling orogenic belt in terms of the geological evolution history at least before the Jinningian period.

Geology and D-O-C Isotope Systematics of the Tieluping Silver Deposit,Henan, China: Implications for Ore Genesis

The Tieluping silver deposit, which is sited along NE-trending faults within the high-grade metamorphic basement of the Xiong'er terrane, is part of an important Mesozoic orogenic-type Ag-Pb and Au belt recently discovered. Ore formation includes three stages: Early (E), Middle (M) and Late (L), which include quartz-pyrite (E), polymetallic sulfides (M) and carbonates (L), respectively. The E-stage fluids are characterized by δD=-90‰, and δ 18 O=9‰ at 373°C, and are deeply sourced; the L-stage fluids, with δD=-70‰, and δ 18 O=-2‰, are shallow-sourced meteoric water; whereas the M-stage fluids, with δD=-109‰, and δ 18 O=2‰, are a mix of deep-sourced and shallow-sourced fluids. Comparisons of the D-O-C isotopic systematics of the E- stage ore-forming fluids with the fluids derived from Mesozoic granites, Archean-Paleoproterozoic metamorphic basement and Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Xiong'er Group, show that these units cannot generate fluids with the measured isotopic composition (highδ 18 O and δ 13 C ratios and lowδD ratios) characteristic of the ore-forming fluids. This suggests that the E-stage ore-forming fluids originated from metamorphic devolatilization of a carbonate-shale-chert lithological association, locally rich in organic matter, which could correspond to the Meso-Neoproterozoic Guandaokou and Luanchuan Groups, rather than to geologic units in the Xiong'er terrane, the lower crust and the mantle. This supports the view that the rocks of the Guandaokou and Luanchuan Groups south of the Machaoying fault might be the favorable sources. A tectonic model that combines collisional orogeny, metallogeny and hydrothermal fluid flow is proposed to explain the formation of the Tieluping silver deposit. During the Mesozoic collision between the South and North China paleocontinents, a crustal slab containing a lithological association consisting of carbonate-shale-chert, locally rich in organic matter (carbonaceous shale) was thrust northwards beneath the Xiong'er terrane along the Machaoying fault. Metamorphic devolatilization of this underthrust slab provided the ore-forming fluids to develop the Au-Ag-(Pb-Zn) ore belt, which includes the Tieluping silver deposit.

SHRIMP Age and Geochemistry of the Bikou Volcanic Terrane:Implications for Neoproterozoic Tectonics on the Northern Margin of the Yangtze Craton

The Bikou volcanic terrane is predominated by subalkaline tholeiitic lavas. Rock samples display lower initial ratios of Sr and Nd, 0.701248-0.704413 and 0.511080-0.512341 respectively. 207Pb and 208Pb are significantly enriched in the lavas. Most samples have positive εNd, which indicates that the magma was derived from EM-type mantle source, while a few samples with negative εNd indicate that there was contamination in the magma evolution. Magma differentiation is demonstrated by variations of LREE and LILE from depletion to enrichment. Additionally, normalized REE patterns and trace elements showed that lavas from the Bikou volcanic terrane have similar characteristics to those of basalts in arc settings caused by subduction and collision. Analyses showed that the Bikou volcanic terrane is a volcanic arc. New evidence proved that the Hengdan Group, north of the Bikou arc, is a turbidite terrane filling a forearc basin. Consequently, the Bikou volcanic terrane and the Hengdan turbidite terrane construct an arc-basin system. New SHRIMP ages showed that this arc-basin system developed on the northern margin of the Yangtze craton in the Neoproterozoic (846-776 Ma), and this arc-basin system is in agreement with the tectonic processes of Rodinia in the Neoproterzoic.

The Zoulang Nanshan Caledonian Subduct ion Complex in the Northern Qilian Mountains and Its Dynamics

The front of the Zoulang Nanshan Caledonian volcanic island arc zone in the northern Qilian Mountains is a forearc accretionary terrane, composed of multiple accretionary volcanic island arcs, flysch accretionary wedges,high-pressure metamorphosed detachment zones and remnants of ophiolites. It resulted from the northeastward subduction of the Early Palaeozoic Qilan oceanic crust beneath the Alxa block. High-pressure metamorphism, which occurred during the subduction, progressed through three stages: the initial stage of medium T-high P,the main stage of temperature decrease and pressure increase, and the lag stage of pressure decrease and temperature increase. Finally the paper presents a retrotrench subduction dynamic model indicative of northward subduction of the central Qilian block and southward accretion of the Alxa block during the period of 450-500 Ma.

Helium Isotope Geochemistry of Ultrahigh-Pressure Metamorphic Eclogites From the Dabie-Sulu Terrane in East China

: The 3He/4He ratios of most eclogites from the Dabie-Sulu terrane range from 0.056 to 0.67 Ra; the data points fall into the mixing part of the crust and the mantle in the 3He-4He diagram. The 3He/4He ratios of eclogites are obviously correlated with the types of their surrounding rocks. The helium isotope composition of the eclogites from the Bixiling complex possesses characters of mantle-derived rocks with the 3He/4He ratio being 5.6 Ra. The 4He concentration of the eclogites exhibits visible inverse correlation with the δ18O value of the quartz in the eclogites from the Sulu area. The δ18O values of the eclogites change synchronously with those of the country rocks. Those results suggest that protoliths of the eclogites were basic-ultrabasic rock bodies or veins intruding into the continental crust in the early stage; strong exchange and hybridization between the basic-ultrabasic rocks and continental rocks and the atmospheric water during the intrusion led to abrupt increase of the 3He/4He ratios, δ18O values and Nd(0) values of the intrusive bodies or veins, which show characters of continental rocks. This indicates that the eclogites are autochthonous.

Structural Characteristics and Formation Mechanism in the Micangshan Foreland,South China

Lying at the junction of the Dabashan, Longmenshan and Qinling mountains, the Micangshan Orogenic Belt coupled with a basin is a duplex structure and back-thrust triangular belt with little horizontal displacement, small thrust faults and continuous sedimentary cover. On the basis of 3D seismic data, and through sedimentary and structural research, the Micangshan foreland can be divided into five subbelts, which from north to south are： basement thrust, frontal thrust, foreland depression-back-thrust triangle, foreland fold belt or anticline belt, and the Tongjiang Depression. Along the direction of strike from west to east, the arcuate structural belt of Micangshan can be divided into west, middle and east segments. During the collision between the Qinling and Yangtze plates, the Micangshan Orogenic Belt was subjected to the interaction of three rigid terranes： Bikou, Foping, and Fenghuangshan （a.k.a. Ziyang） terranes. The collision processes of rigid terranes controlled the structural development of the Micangshan foreland, which are： （a） the former collision between the Micangshan-Hannan and Bikou terranes forming the earlier rudiments of the structure; and （b） the later collision forming the main body of the structural belt. The formation processes of the Micangshan Orogenic Belt can be divided into four stages： （1） in the early stage of the Indosinian movement, the Micangshan-Hannan Rigid Terrane was jointed to the Qinling Plate by the clockwise subduction of the Yangtze Plate toward the Qinling Plate; （2） since the late Triassic, the earlier rudiments of the Tongnanba and Jiulongshan anticlines and corresponding syncline were formed by compression from different directions of the Bikou, Foping and Micangshan-Hannan terranes; （3） in the early stage of the Himalayan movement, the Micangshan-Hannan Terrane formed the Micangshan Nappe torwards the foreland basin and the compression stresses were mainly concentrated along both its flanks, whereas the Micangshan-Hannan Terrane wedged into the Qinling Orogenic Belt with force; （4） in the late stage of the Himalayan movement, the main collision of the Qinling Plate made the old basement rocks of the terrane uplift quickly, to form the Micangshan Orogenic Belt. The Micangshan foreland arcuate structure was formed due to the non-homogeneity of terrane movement.

Continental- Margin Structure of Northeast China and Its Adjacent Areas

The continental margin of Northeast China and its adjacent areas is composed of two tectonic belts. The inner belt is a collage made up of fragments resulting from breakup of an old land with the north part related to the evolution of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean and the south part to the evolution of the Palaeo - Pacific Ocean. The outer belt is a Mesozoic terrane, which is a melange made up of fragments of the Late Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic oceanic crust and the Late M esozoic trench accumulations.There existed another ocean-the Palaeo - Pacific Ocean during the period from the closing of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean to the opening of the modern Pacific Ocean or from the Devonian to Jurassic, and the ocean-floor spreading of the Palaeo - Pacific Ocean led to the formation of the above-mentioned tectonic belts. The development of the strike-slip fault system after the Late Jurassic and the formation of an epicontinental volcano -plutonic rock belt in the Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary are attributed to the interaction between the modern Pacific plate and the Eurasian plate.

Indosinian Orogenesis in the Lhasa Terrane, Tibet: New Muscovite ^(40)Ar-^(39)Ar Geochronology and Evolutionary Process

Muscovite 40 Ar-39 Ar dating of muscovite-quartz schist, eclogite and retrograde eclogite indicates an Indosinian orogenesis occurred at 220-240 Ma in the Lhasa terrane, which is caused by the closure of Paleo-Tethyan ocean basin and the following collision of the northern Lhasa terrane and southern Gondwana land. This Indosinian orogenesis is further confirmed by the regional sedimentary characteristics, magmatic activity and ophiolite mélange. This evidence suggests that the Indosinian orogenic belt in the Lhasa terrane is widely distributed from the Coqen county in the west, and then extends eastward through the Ningzhong and Sumdo area, finally turning around the eastern Himalayan syntaxis into the Bomi county. Based on the evolutionary process, the geological development of Lhasa terrane from early Paleozoic to early Mesozoic can be divided into seven stages. All of the seven stages make up a whole Wilson circle and reveal a perfect evolutionary process of the Paleo-Tethys ocean between the northern Lhasa terrane and southern Gondwana land. The Indosinian orogenisis is a significant event for the evolution of the Lhasa terrane as well as the Tibetan Plateau.