Punctuated Orogeny During the Assembly of Asia: Tectonostratigraphic Evolution of the North China Craton and the Qilian Shan From the Paleoproterozoic to Early Paleozoic

Abstract

Asian and the Tethyan oceanic domains are separated by the Tarim and North China cratons whose geologic histories are critical for deciphering the interactions of the two orogenic systems to the north and south. A major obstacle for establishing the geologic history of Tarim and North China cratons is that the two tectonic entities are currently bounded by Cenozoic structures along the southern margin of the Tian Shan and the northern margin of the Tibetan plateau (Figure 1). These structures have either reactivated or strongly modified the earlier tectonic configurations of the region (e.g., Yin & Nie, 1996). For example, Cenozoic structures that bound the southern margin of Tarim and North China cratons overprinted Mesozoic extensional basins (X.

Paleoproterozoic Plate Tectonics Recorded in the Northern Margin Orogen, North China Craton

“…Here we have provided more support for the assertion that the Paleoproterozoic Northern Margin orogen stretched north-south over a distance of ∼200 km across the North China. In addition, we suggest that the western extent of Paleoproterozoic Northern Margin orogen may at least continue to the Longshou Shan of the western Alax block in the North China craton (Wu et al, 2021;Wu, Li et al, 2022), defining a west-east width of ∼1,600 km. These refined dimensions should be considered in attempts to restore the configuration of Archean-Paleoproterozoic cratons within supercontinents.…”

“…The occurrence of ca. 2.2–2.0 Ga, subduction‐related continental arcs are rare and thus, are useful for reconstructing the paleogeographic configuration of continents during the Paleoproterozoic (e.g., T. M. Kusky & Li, 2003; Wu et al., 2018, 2021; A. Yin et al., 2020; Zhao et al., 2002). The Northern Margin orogen of the North China craton consists mostly of Neoarchean supracrustal assemblages that are intruded by ca.…”

New Early Neoproterozoic Paleomagnetic Constraints of the Northwestern China Blocks on the Periphery of Rodinia

“…Both the ATB‐QQB and NCC recorded two other phases of LIPs, including ∼850‐820 Ma LIP with consistent OIB‐E‐MORB type compositions formed in intraplate settings (e.g., the 846‐821 Ma Yingfeng mafic dikes in the northern Qaidam block, Lu et al., 2008; Xu et al., 2016; the ∼825 Ma Jinchuan mafic‐ultramafic rocks and the ∼830 Ma Luanchuan gabbro in the NCC, Li et al., 2005; Wang et al., 2011), and ∼780 Ma LIP sourced from enriched mantle with contamination of continental crust (e.g., the ⁓780 Ma meta‐mafic volcanics in the northern Qaidam block, Peng et al., 2019; the ∼775 Ma Lulong mafic dikes in the NCC, Ding et al., 2021). (d) Comparable late Paleoproterozoic‐Mesoproterozoic cover sequence and Paleoproterozoic magmatic‐metamorphic events: the late Mesoproterozoic Tuolai Group in the Qilian block and the Suoerkuli Group in the ATB could be equivalent to the Dunzigou Group in the southwestern NCC and the Baiyinbaolage Formation in the northern NCC, based on similar detrital zircon age populations (Wu et al., 2021). The recently revised <1730‐1640 Ma rift to passive margin strata in the northern Qaidam block—Quanji Group can be correlative with the Changcheng Group in the NCC (Wang et al., 2022; Zhang, Wang, et al., 2016), and the ∼1500 Ma Sangzhutage Group in the southwestern STB shares the same passive margin rock assemblage with that of the NCC as well (Zhang, Ye, et al., 2019).…”

“…However, this model is challenged by loosely constrained Neoproterozoic TB‐ATB‐QQB linkage (Song & Li, 2019), and a recent paleomagnetic study from the northern TB (Zhao et al., 2021) which unraveled a profound paleolatitudinal difference between the north Tarim block (NTB) and south Tarim block (STB) at ∼900 Ma. Alternatively, other models include the proximities of the TB, ATB, and QQB with the NCC during the Rodinian era (Pang et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2021; Zuza & Yin, 2017), but are limited to geological considerations. In this study, we report the new paleomagnetic, geochronological and geochemical results obtained from 16 mafic dikes in the northern ATB (Figure 1a).…”

Jurassic Evolution of the Dunhuang Basin and Its Implications for the Early History of the Altyn Tagh Fault, Northeast Tibet Plateau

“…The North Qilian Shan are mainly composed of Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic ophiolite sequences, high‐pressure metamorphic rocks, island‐arc volcanic rocks and granitoid plutons, and the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic sedimentary sequences (C. Wu et al., 2016; Yan et al., 2008, 2021); the Central Qilian Block is characterized by Precambrian granite gneiss, basement series of marble and amphibolite, early Paleozoic dioritic‐granitic and minor gabbroic intrusions and overlying Paleozoic sedimentary sequences (Fu et al., 2018, 2019; Y. L. Li et al., 2020; C. Wu et al., 2017; Yan, Fu, Aitchison, Buckman, et al., 2019, 2022); the South Qilian Shan are composed predominantly of early Paleozoic ophiolites, volcano‐sedimentary rocks and Neoproterozoic low‐grade metamorphic rhyolites and tuffs (S. G. Song et al., 2013; Yan et al., 2015; Yan, Fu, Aitchison, Buckman, et al., 2019; Yan, Fu, Aitchison, Niu, et al., 2019). The entire Qilian Shan underwent multiple periods of continental disintegration, the formation and closure of ocean basins, and continental collision before the Devonian; subsequently, the Qilian Shan and adjacent areas evolved into an intracontinental evolutionary stage (Y. P. Dong et al., 2021; S. G. Song et al., 2013; C. Wu et al., 2021; Yan et al., 2022).…”