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In this article, we present in situ U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotope data for Upper Triassic detritus in the Sichuan region of northwestern South China, which was a foreland basin during the Late Triassic. The aim is to determine the provenance of sediments in the foreland basin and to constrain the evolution of the surrounding mountain belts. U-Pb age data for the Late Triassic detrital zircons generally show populations at 2.4-2.6 Ga, 1.7-1.9 Ga, 710-860 Ma, 410-460 Ma, and 210-300 Ma. By fitting the zircon data into the tectonic, sedimentologic, and palaeographic framework, we propose that the north Yangtze Block and South Qinling-Dabie Orogen were the important source areas of sediments in the northern part of the foreland basin, whereas the Longmen Shan thrust-fold belt was the main source region for detritus in other parts of the foreland basin. The South Qinling-Dabie Orogen could also have served as a physical barrier to block most detritus shed from the southern North China Block into the foreland basin during the sedimentation of the Xujiahe Formation. Our results also reveal that part of the flysch from the eastern margin of the Songpan-Ganzi region had been displaced into the Longmen Shan thrust-fold belt before the deposition of the foreland basin sediments. In addition, the Lu-Hf data indicate that Phanerozoic igneous rocks in central China show insignificant formation of the juvenile crust.

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The organic‐rich lower Silurian shale of the Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin is the most important target for shale‐gas exploration in China. Most Paleozoic rocks of the Sichuan Basin have experienced extraordinarily pervasive remagnetizations. To test a hypothesized connection between hydrocarbon generation and remagnetization and contribute to shale‐gas exploration in the region, we undertook an integrated magnetic, geochemical, and petrographic study of 160 specimens from the shale. The results suggest that the shale contains a reliable remanent magnetization (Dec = 41.4°, Inc = 40.8°, and α95 = 6.8°). The magnetization predates tilting, and the paleopole plots close to the Late Triassic segment of the south China apparent polar wander path. The rock magnetic data and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations confirm that framboidal magnetites carry the bulk of the magnetization, which suggest a Late Triassic chemical remanent magnetization in the shale. 87Sr/86Sr and magnetic analyses indicate that the amount of magnetite was unaffected by fluid alterations around the veins but is strongly covariant with the amount of total organic matter. Moreover, SEM observations reveal possible evidence of the replacement of pyrite framboids by magnetite, probably in the presence of organic acids. These analyses, therefore, suggest that the remagnetization was caused by organic maturation rather than orogenic fluids and that the maturation occurred in the Late Triassic. This timing of organic maturation has been validated by independent modeling studies and provides important constraints on the complex thermal history of the Longmaxi Shale as well as contributing to shale‐gas exploration efforts.