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Origin of the Chichibu Sea, Japan: Middle Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic Plate construction in the northern margin of the Gondwana continent
Author(s) -
Otoh Shigeru,
Yamakita Satoshi,
Yanai Shuichi
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
tectonics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.465
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1944-9194
pISSN - 0278-7407
DOI - 10.1029/tc009i003p00423
Subject(s) - geology , gondwana , paleontology , permian , paleozoic , rift , continental margin , subduction , plate tectonics , mesozoic , tectonics , passive margin , cretaceous , island arc , devonian , structural basin
Pre‐Jurassic plate tectonic development of southwest Japan is discussed in the light of rifting tectonics using the symmetrical rock arrangement. In particular, a geodynamic model is presented of Middle Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic plate construction of the Chichibu Sea. The model involves five steps: (1) the deposition of Siluro‐Devonian rocks on the Gondwana continental margin; (2) incipient rifting into Hida + Hida Marginal continental block on the north and Kurosegawa continental block on the south, forming Chichibu Sea plate in Carboniferous time; (3) parts of the Chichibu Sea plate were subducted beneath the Kurosegawa continental block and newly formed Maizuru Island Arc in Permian time; (4) the rifting and subduction ceased in latest Permian time and the Chichibu Sea remained stable with the width of over 1000 km in Triassic time; and (5) the Kurosegawa continental block collided with the Hida + Hida Marginal continental block in Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous times. The geodynamic model is further discussed in the context of breakup and accretion tectonics.