Magmatic-tectonic response of the South China Craton to the Paleo-Pacific subduction during the Triassic:a new viewpoint based on Well NK-1

The Nansha Block(NB)is one of the blocks separated from the southern margin of the South China Craton(SCC)by the western Pacific subduction,which contains rich information of geodynamic and tectonic transformation.To reveal the essence of western Paleo-Pacific subduction during the Triassic period,Well NK-1 in this block was selected for petrographic study,and published research data from other cooperative teams were compared.A double-cycle pattern of basic to neutral magmatic volcanism was established,and 36 lithological rhythmic layers and representative cryptoexplosive breccia facies and welded tuff bands were identified.Combined with a reanalysis of published geochronological data,geochemical elements,and isotope geochemistry,we found that the rock assemblages could be divided into an intermediate-acid dacite(DA)series(SiO_(2)>65%)and basaltic(BA)series(Co<40μg/g),which was formed during the early Late Triassic((218.6±3.2)–(217.9±3.5)Ma).BA exhibits obvious calc-alkaline island-arc magmatic properties:(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)_i ratio ranging 0.70377–0.71118(average:0.70645),^(147)Sm/^(144)Nd ratio ranging 0.119–0.193(average:0.168),and chondrite-normalized rare earth element(REE)curves being flat,while DA exhibits remarkable characteristics of subducted island-arc andesitic magma:(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)_i ratio(0.70939–0.71129;average:0.71035),εNd(t)value(-6.2–-4.8;average:-5.6)andε_(Hf)(t)value(-2.9–-1.7,average:-2.2)show obvious crust-mantle mixing characteristics.BA and DA reveal typical characteristics of island-arc magma systems and typeⅡenriched mantle(EM-Ⅱ)magma.BA magma was likely resulted from the process whereby the continental crust frontal accretionary wedge was driven by the Paleo-Pacific slab subduction into the deep and began to melt,resulting in a large amount of melt(fluid)joined the asthenosphere on the side of the continental margin.In contrast,DA magma was likely resulted from the process whereby the plate front was forced to bend with increasing subduction distance,which triggered the upwelling of the asthenosphere near the continent and subsequently led to the partial melting of the lithospheric mantle and lower crust due to continuous underplating.The lithospheric thinning environment in the study area at the end of Triassic created suitable conditions for the separation between the NB and SCC,which provided an opportunity for the formation of the early intracontinental rift during the later expansion of the South China Sea(SCS).

Ages of the Laocheng Granitoids and Crustal Growth in the South Qinling Tectonic Domain,Central China:Zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf Isotopic Constraints

The Laocheng granitoid pluton is located in the South Qinling tectonic domain of the Qinling orogenic belt,southern Shaanxi Province,and consists chiefly of quartz diorite,granodiorite and monzogranite.A LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb isotopic dating,in conjunction with cathodoluminescence images,reveals that the quartz diorite and granodiorite were emplaced from 220 Ma to 216 Ma,while the monzogranite was emplaced at～210 Ma.In-situ zircon Hf isotopic analyses show that theε_（Hf）（t） values of the quartz diorite and granodiorite range from-8.1 to ＋1.3,and single-stage Hf model ages from 809 Ma to 1171 Ma,while theε_（Hf）（t）values of the monzogranite are-14.5 to ＋16.7 and single-stage Hf model ages from 189 Ma to 1424 Ma.These Hf isotopic features reveal that the quartz diorite, granodiorite and monzogranite were formed from the mixing of the magmas derived from partial melting of the depleted mantle and the lower continent crustal materials,and there were two stages of continental crust growth during the Neoproterozoic（～800 Ma）and Indosinian（～210 Ma）eras, respectively,in the south Qinling tectonic domain of the Qinling orogrnic belt,Central China.

Plate tectonic control on the formation and tectonic migration of Cenozoic basins in northern margin of the South China Sea

The tectonic evolution history of the South China Sea(SCS) is important for understanding the interaction between the Pacific Tectonic Domain and the Tethyan Tectonic Domain,as well as the regional tectonics and geodynamics during the multi-plate convergence in the Cenozoic.Several Cenozoic basins formed in the northern margin of the SCS,which preserve the sedimentary tectonic records of the opening of the SCS.Due to the spatial non-uniformity among different basins,a systematic study on the various basins in the northern margin of the SCS constituting the Northern Cenozoic Basin Group(NCBG) is essential.Here we present results from a detailed evaluation of the spatial-temporal migration of the boundary faults and primary unconformities to unravel the mechanism of formation of the NCBG.The NCBG is composed of the Beibu Gulf Basin(BBGB),Qiongdongnan Basin(QDNB),Pearl River Mouth Basin(PRMB) and Taixinan Basin(TXNB).Based on seismic profiles and gravity-magnetic anomalies,we confirm that the NE-striking onshore boundary faults propagated into the northern margin of the SCS.Combining the fault slip rate,fault combination and a comparison of the unconformities in different basins,we identify NE-striking rift composed of two-stage rifting events in the NCBG:an early-stage rifting(from the Paleocene to the Early Oligocene) and a late-stage rifting(from the Late Eocene to the beginning of the Miocene).Spatially only the late-stage faults occurs in the western part of the NCBG(the BBGB,the QDNB and the western PRMB),but the early-stage rifting is distributed in the whole NCBG.Temporally,the early-stage rifting can be subdivided into three phases which show an eastward migration,resulting in the same trend of the primary unconformities and peak faulting within the NCBG.The late-stage rifting is subdivided into two phases,which took place simultaneously in different basins.The first and second phase of the early-stage rifting is related to back-arc extension of the Pacific subduction retreat system.The third phase of the earlystage rifting resulted from the joint effect of slab-pull force due to southward subduction of the proto-SCS and the back-arc extension of the Pacific subduction retreat system.In addition,the first phase of the late-stage faulting corresponds with the combined effect of the post-collision extension along the Red River Fault and slab-pull force of the proto-SCS subduction.The second phase of the late-stage faulting fits well with the sinistral faulting of the Red River Fault in response to the Indochina Block escape tectonics and the slab-pull force of the proto-SCS.

Post-Mesozoic Transformation of Tectonic Domain in Southeastern China and Its Geodynamic Mechanism

Since the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, a transformation from a Tethyan Himalayan tectonic domain into a circum Pacific tectonic domain from Indosinian to Yanshanian is indicated in this paper, resulting in conspicuous changes in geophysics, tectono magmatic distribution, lithofacies and paleo geography, tectonic system in southeastern China. Tectonic analysis shows that the tectonic framework resulted from the compounding, transforming and superimposing of the two tectonic domains. The geodynamic mechanism of the transformation is mainly shown as the transverse and longitudinal heterogeneity of lithosphere, and the exchange between the crust and the mantle.

Geochronology and geochemistry of Cretaceous-Eocene granites,Tengchong Block(SW China):Petrogenesis and implications for Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Eastern Tethys

The Early Cretaceous-Early Eocene granitoids in the Tengchong Block record the evolutionary history of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectono-magmatic evolution of Eastern Tethys.(a)The Early Cretaceous granitoids with relatively low(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)iratios of 0.7090-0.7169 andε_(Nd)(t)values of-9.8 to-7.8 display metaluminous,calc-alkaline dominated by I-type granite affinity and hybrid mantle-crust geochemical signatures.They may have been derived from melting of the subducted Meso-Tethyan BangongNujiang oceanic crust with terrigenous sediments in an arc-continent collisional setting.(b)The Late Cretaceous-Paleocene granitoids with relatively high(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)iratios of 0.7109-0.7627,andε_(Nd)(t)values of-12.1 to-7.9 exhibit metaluminous to peraluminous,calc-alkaline dominated by S-type granite affinity and hybrid Lower-Upper crust geochemical signatures,which may be originated from partial melting of the Meso-Proterozoic continental crust in the collision setting between the Tengchong Block and Baoshan Block.(c)The Early Eocene granitoids have metaluminous,calc-alkaline I-type and S-type granites dual affinity,with relatively high(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)iratios of 0.711-0.736,ε_(Nd)(t)values of-9.4 to-4.7,showing crust-mantle mixing geochemical signatures.They may have been originated from partial melting of the late Meso-Proterozoic upper crustal components mixed with some upper mantle material during the ascent process of mantle magma caused by the subduction of the Neo-Tethyan Putao-Myitkyian oceanic crust,and collision between the Western Burma Block and the Tengchong Block.It is these multi-stage subductions and collisions that caused the spatial and temporal distribution of the granitic rocks in the Tengchong Block.

Basement of the South China Sea Area:Tracing the Tethyan Realm

The basement of the South China Sea（SCS）and adjacent areas can be divided into six divisions（regions）-Paleozoic Erathem graben-faulted basement division in Beibu Gulf,Paleozoic Erathem strike-slip pull-apart in Yinggehai waters,Paleozoic Erathem faulted-depression in eastern Hainan,Paleozoic Erathem rifted in northern Xisha（Paracel）,Paleozoic Erathem strike-slip extending in southern Xisha,and Paleozoic-Mesozoic Erathem extending in Nansha Islands（Spratly）waters.The Pre-Cenozoic basement in the SCS and Yunkai continental area are coeval within the Tethyan tectonic domain in the Pre-Cenozoic Period.They are formed on the background of the Paleo-Tethyan tectonic domain,and are important components of the Eastern Tethyan multi-island-ocean system.Three branches of the Eastern Paleo-Tethys tectonic domain,North Yunkai,North Hainan,and South Hainan sea basins,have evolved into the North Yunkai,North Hainan,and South Hainan suture zones, respectively.This shows a distinctive feature of localization for the Pre-Cenozoic basement.The Qiongnan（i.e.South Hainan）Suture Zone on the northern margin of the South China Sea can be considered the vestige of the principal ocean basin of Paleo-Tethys,and connected with the suture zone of the Longmucuo-Shuanghu belt-Bitu belt-Changning-Menglian-Bentong-Raub belt,the south extension of Bitu-Changning-Menglian-Ching Mai belt-Chanthaburi-Raub-Bentong belt on the west of South China Sea,and with the Lianhua-Taidong suture zone（a fault along the east side of Longitudinal Valley in Taiwan）-Hida LP/HT（low pressure-high temperature）metamorphic belt-Hida -marginal HP/LT metamorphic belt in southwestern Honshu of Japan,on the east of the South China Sea.The Qiongbei（North Hainan）suture zone may eastwards extended along the Wangwu-Wenjiao fault zone,and connects with the Lufeng-Dapu-Zhenghe-Shangyu（Lianhuashan）deep fault zone through the Pearl River Mouth Basin.The Meso-Tethys developed on the south of the South China Sea.The Nansha Trough may be considered the vestige of the northern shelf of the Meso-Tethys. The oceanic crust of the Meso-Tethys has southwards subducted along the subduction-collision-thrust southern margin of the Nansha Trough with a subduction-pole opposite to those of the Yarlung Zangbo-Mytkyina-Bago zone on the west of the South China Sea,and the Meso-Tethyan（e.g.Northern Chichibu Ocean of the Meso-Tethys）suture zone＂Butsozo tectonic line＂in the outer belt of the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous terrene group in southwest Japan,on the east of the South China Sea.

Depositional Responses to the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean Closure in the Central Area of the Great Xing’an Range: Insights into Thrust Faults and Foreland Basins

The Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean,which has been closing gradually from the west to the east beginning since the Late Paleozoic,was an important part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.It influenced the tectonic framework of Northeast Asia in the Mesozoic,especially the Late Mesozoic arc-basin system that is widely distributed in the Great Xing’an Range.However,the manner in which the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean affected the sedimentary basin development remains poorly understood.To address this issue,we conducted U-Pb dating of detrital zircon deposited sedimentary basins of the central Great Xing’an Range.By examining the possible provenances of the detrital zircon and the structural controls of the basins,we found that a key sedimentary unit was deposited around Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous.Its provenance was a felsic source in a back-arc setting of an active continental margin.The findings also suggest the existence of a unified geodynamic setting that affected the coeval development of basins in the northern Great Xing’an Range and the Yanshan fold-thrust belt along the northern margin of North China Craton.This research helps to better understand the complex tectonic processes which shaped the Northeast Asia during the Late Mesozoic.

Tectonic evolution and geodynamics of the Neo-Tethys Ocean

The Neo-Tethys Ocean was an eastward-gaping triangular oceanic embayment between Laurasia to the north and Gondwana to the south.The Neo-Tethys Ocean was initiated from the Early Permian with mircoblocks rifted from the northern margin of Gondwana.As the microblocks drifted northwards,the Neo-Tethys Ocean was expanded.Most of these microblocks collided with the Eurasia continent in the Late Triassic,leading to the final closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean,followed by oceanic subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic slab beneath the newly formed southern margin of the Eurasia continent.As the splitting of Gondwana continued,African-Arabian,Indian and Australian continents were separated from Gondwana and moved northwards at different rates.Collision of these blocks with the Eurasia continent occurred at different time during the Cenozoic,resulting in the closure of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and building of the most significant Alps-Zagros-Himalaya orogenic belt on Earth.The tectonic evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean shows different characteristics from west to east:Multi-oceanic basins expansion,bidirectional subduction and microblocks collision dominate in the Mediterranean region;northward oceanic subduction and diachronous continental collision along the Zagros suture occur in the Middle East;the Tibet and Southeast Asia are characterized by multi-block riftings from Gondwana and multi-stage collisions with the Eurasia continent.The negative buoyancy of subducting oceanic slabs can be considered as the main engine for northward drifting of Gondwana-derived blocks and subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean.Meanwhile,mantle convection and counterclockwise rotation of Gondwana-derived blocks and the Gondwana continent around an Euler pole in West Africa in non-free boundary conditions also controlled the evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean.

The structure of Circum-Tibetan Plateau Basin-Range System and the large gas provinces

Northward subduction of the Cenozoic Tethys ocean caused the convergence and collision of Eurasia-Indian Plates, resulting in the lower crust thickening, the upper crust thrusting, and the Qinghai-Tibet uplifting, and forming the plateau landscape. In company with uplifting and northward extruding of the Tibetan plateau, the contractional tectonic deformations persistently spread outward, building a gigantic basin-range system around the Tibetan plateau. This system is herein termed as the Cir- cure-Tibetan Plateau Basin-Range System, in which the global largest diffuse and the most energetic intra-continental defor- mations were involved, and populations of inheritance foreland basins or thrust belts were developed along the margins of an- cient cratonic plates due to the effects of the cratonic amalgamation, crust differentiation, orogen rejuvenation, and basin sub- sidence. There are three primary tectonic units in the Circum-Tibet Plateau Basin-Range System, which are the reactivated an- cient orogens, the foreland thrust belts, and the miniature cratonic basins. The Circum-Tibetan Plateau Basin-Range System is a gigantic deformation system and particular Himalayan tectonic domain in central-western China and is comparable to the Tibetan Plateau. In this system, northward and eastward developments of thrust deformations exhibit an arc-shaped area along the Kunlun-Altyn-Qilian-Longmenshan mountain belts, and further expand outward to the Altai-Yinshan-Luliangshan- Huayingshan mountain belts during the Late Cenozoic sustained collision of Indo-Asia. Intense intra-continental deformations lead ancient orogens to rejuvenate, young foreland basins to form in-between orogens and cratons, and thrusts to propagate from orogens to cratons in successive order. Driven by the Eurasia-Indian collision and its far field effects, both deformation and basin-range couplings in the arc-shaped area decrease from south to north. When a single basin-range unit is focused on, deformations become younger and younger together with more and more simple structural styles from piedmonts to craton in- teriors. In the Circum-Tibetan Plateau Basin-Range System, it presents three segmented tectonic deformational patterns： prop- agating in the west, growth-overthrusting in the middle, and slip-uplifting in the east. For natural gas exploration, two tectonic units, both the Paleozoic cratonic basins and the Cenozoic foreland thrust belts, are important because hydrocarbon in cen- tral-western China is preserved mainly in the Paleozoic cratonic paleo-highs and the Meso-Cenozoic foreland thrust belts, to- gether with characteristics of multiphrase hydrocarbon generation but late accumulation and enrichment.