Phanerozoic tectonics of the South China Block: Key observations and controversies

Geochronological, geochemical and Nd–Hf–Os isotopic fingerprinting of an early Neoproterozoic arc–back-arc system in South China and its accretionary assembly along the margin of Rodinia

“…The eastern SCB can be subdivided into eastern Cathaysia, western Cathaysia and eastern Yangtze regions ( Fig. 1; Xu et al, 2007a,b;Yu et al, 2009;Wang et al, 2012b) of which the Eastern Cathaysia is largely covered by the Mesozoic volcanic rocks and separated from the western Cathaysia by the Zhenghe-Dapu fault and its inferred southern extension, the Gaoyao-Huilai Fault, along the Nanling and Yunkai domains (Fig. 1, e.g., Chen et al, 2002;Wang et al, 2012a).…”

Petrogenesis of the early Paleozoic strongly peraluminous granites in the Western South China Block and its tectonic implications

“…(3) The mafic intrusive rocks that were generated by decompression mantle melting during lithospheric extension (i.e., $435 Ma gabbros and diabases; Wang et al, 2013c), together with those coeval granitoids (e.g., Li et al, 2010;Wang et al, 2011Wang et al, , 2013bZhang et al, 2012b;Huang et al, 2013;Zhao et al, 2013) within the SCB, display a bimodal pattern, which is in accord with the general signature of postcollisional extension-related magmatism (e.g., Turner et al, 1992;Li et al, 2014), rather than a compressional regime. (4) The recent studies on the high-grade metamorphism and deformation revealed a prograde metamorphism similar to the synorogenic crustal thickening and a retrograde metamorphism akin to the postorogenic rapid exhumation at $460-430 Ma and at $430-400 Ma, respectively (e.g., Li et al, 2010;Wan et al, 2010;Zhao et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2013b).…”

“…Taken together, it is clear that the granitic rocks in the DulongSong Chay batholith intruded mainly at $430 Ma, with minor younger granitic magmatism that likely occurred at $400 Ma (Yan et al, 2006). Recent studies have documented that the 460-400 Ma granitic magmatism was intensive within the SCB, especially in the WuyiYunkai orogen and the surrounding area (e.g., Wang et al, 2007Wang et al, , 2011Wang et al, , 2012Wang et al, , 2013bLi et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2012b;Chu et al, 2012a;Huang et al, 2013;Zhao et al, 2013;and references therein). In conjunction with all available dating results published previously, a peak age of $430 Ma is shown in Fig.…”

“…For example, Yan et al (2006) and Wang et al (2013d) considered these granitic rocks to be the result of crustal anatexis during crustal shortening and thickening corresponding to synorogenic stage. In contrast, most workers (e.g., Li et al, 2010;Wang et al, 2011Wang et al, , 2013bZhang et al, 2012b;Huang et al, 2013;Zhao et al, 2013) believed that only those granitic rocks younger than $430 Ma were generated in a postorogenic setting.…”

“…There is a general consensus that the orogenic collapse is the key mechanism to trigger the post-collisional extension and related magmatism and metamorphism within the SCB (e.g., Li et al, 2010;Wang et al, 2007Wang et al, , 2011Wang et al, , 2013bZhang et al, 2012b;Huang et al, 2013;Zhao et al, 2013). Nevertheless, two contrasting tectonic scenarios have been invoked to account for the cause of upwelling of the asthenosphere that would perturb the original thermal gradient and that lead to large volumes of magma generation and lithospheric extension (e.g., Li (Zhang et al, 2012a).…”