Premium
Characteristics of the Geotectonics in South China and Their Constraints on Primary Diamond
Author(s) -
Wenquan TANG,
Chaomin BAO
Publication year - 2000
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.1755-6724.2000.tb00453.x
Subject(s) - geology , china , diamond , plate tectonics , pacific plate , tectonics , cretaceous , mesozoic , block (permutation group theory) , structural basin , fault (geology) , proterozoic , paleontology , seismology , subduction , geochemistry , archaeology , geography , geometry , chemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry
Abstract The Asian continent is one of the best places in the world to study continental dynamics. In this region the tectonic framework of the South China plate is related to the activity of the Pacific plate and Indian plate since the Mesozoic. In the South China plate, as the ophiolitic mélange of the middle Proterozoic in the Shaoxing‐Yingtan‐Tengxian‐Beihai faulted zone was confirmed to be a subducting ocean, the evolution of the Yangtze block and Cathaysian block, which are located on both sides of the fault zone, becomes clearer and clearer. A primary diamond deposit, which was first found by Bao Chaomin and his colleagues in Longyou County of Zhejiang Province in 1998, originated from kimberlitoid pipes. The pipes are located in the Cretaceous basin beside this deep fault and the diamond‐bearing pipe was formed deep within a favourable geological structure. Diamond there occurs as octahedral crystals without visual impurities. There are more than 100 similar pipes in the area, which have been poorly studied so far, so this area should have great prospects for diamond exploration.