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Early Palaeozoic Evolution of the Zhen'an‐ Xichuan Block and the Small Qinling Multi‐Island Ocean Basin
Author(s) -
Hongfu Yin,
Dinghua Huang
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-6724.1996.mp9001001.x
Subject(s) - paleozoic , orogeny , palaeogeography , geology , paleomagnetism , paleontology , structural basin , tethys ocean , block (permutation group theory) , oceanic basin , volcanism , tectonics , subduction , geometry , mathematics
Based on studies of palaeogeography, palaeobiogeography, palaeomagnetism, geochemistry and volcanism, this paper proposes that the Zhen'an ‐Xichuan area was a small Early Palaeozoic block rifted away from South Qinling and suturing onto North Qinling earlier than the other parts of South Qinling. In the Early Palaeozoic Qinling was a small archipelagic ocean basin with 5 rows of islands including the Zhen'an ‐Xichuan block. The drifting of the Yangtze and North China plates and the islands between them in the same direction at different speeds caused their suturing process to be different from the classic plate collision, which is the major feature of the suturing of the multi‐island Tethys ocean basin. This also explains the problem that the Caledonian collision did not result in orogeny in eastern Qinling.