Late Permian-Triassic magmatic evolution in the Jinshajiang orogenic belt, SW China and implications for orogenic processes following closure of the Paleo-Tethys

Reconstructing South China in Phanerozoic and Precambrian supercontinents

“…The suture zone is a belt up to 30 km wide composed of disrupted and discontinuous Proterozoic to Cenozoic rock units. The early history of the zone has been extensively modified by late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic reactivation during closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean and accretion of the Indochina Block to the southeast (Cai et al, 2014;Lin et al, 2012;Zi et al, 2013). Subsequent Cenozoic strike-slip deformation associated with the India-Asia collision further reactivated the suture zone (Tapponnier et al, 2001, and references therein).…”

“…Fig. 4) but specific locations range from close to the Arabian Peninsula on India's northwestern side to off Western Australia, northeast of India (Burrett et al, 2014;Cawood et al, 2013;Cocks and Torsvik, 2002;Hughes, 2016;Metcalfe, 2013;Wang et al, 2010c;Xu et al, 2013;Zhu et al, 2012). Cocks and Torsvik (2013) suggested that through the early Paleozoic South China migrated along Gondwana's north margin by a combination of sea-floor spreading and dextral strike-slip motion.…”

“…5). Derivation of detritus from these sources beyond the craton required South China to be joined rather than separated from northern Gondwana, and at a location off northeastern India (Cawood et al, 2013;Xu et al, 2013).…”

“…4) and the development of the proto-Pacific, paleo-Asian and Iapetus oceans around Laurentia (Cawood, 2005;Cawood et al, 2016;Dalziel, 1997). Two end-member models have been proposed for the paleogeographic setting of South China in Rodinia; an internal location within the supercontinent versus an external setting along the margin of Rodinia (Cawood et al, 2013;Li et al, 2008c). In addition, if Cathaysia was linked to northern India through the Mesoproterozoic and early Neoproterozoic, then a third model in which these continental fragments were independent of Rodinia is also possible (Merdith et al, in press, and references therein).…”

Where was the Ailaoshan Ocean and when did it open: A perspective based on detrital zircon U–Pb age and Hf isotope evidence

“…Based on fossil evidence and zircon U-Pb dating of volcanic rocks, some researchers suggested that the ocean may have opened by back-arc spreading related to north-directed subduction of the Main Paleo-Tethys beneath Indochina-Simao in the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous or Permian (Wang et al, 2000;Metcalfe, 2002;Metcalfe, 2006;Fan et al, 2010;Pan et al, 2012). However, other researchers considered it as an Atlantic-type ocean which underwent a complete plate tectonic cycle (continental rift -middle ocean ridge spreading -continental collision) from the Silurian-Devonian to Triassic (Zhong et al, 1998;Jian et al, 2009a,b;Zi et al, 2012Zi et al, , 2013Lai et al, 2014a,b). The second issue relates to the exact location of the Yangtze/Indochina-Simao suture.…”