Tethys (sensu lato) can be categorized into Paleotethys, Mesotethys and Neotethys successively.In contrast to such typical wide and 'clean' oceans as the Atlantic, in all its evolutionary stages Tethys, especially eastern Tethys, has always been an archipelagic ocean containing many continental blocks (delineated partly by rifts) and microplates (delineated by sutures).The blocks and microplates were all formed during the general process of Gondwana dispersal and Asia accretion, through rift extension, northward migration and final integration of belts of blocks with Eurasia such as the Tethysides and Cimmerides.This paper will focus on the archipelagic eastern Eurasian Tethys consisting of the Qinling-Qilian-Kunlun, South China and Xizang-Yunnan regions.
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