Oroclinal bending and block rotations in South China since the Mesozoic --Geological and paleomagnetic evidence

摘要

THE South China Block exhibits a complex structural pattern in its Neoproterozoic-Mesozoic sedimentary cover. The lack of knowledge about the formation of this pattern hinders our understanding of the regional tectonic evolution and paleogeography, and the reconstruction of Phanerozoic apparent polar wander path(s). In this note we present a synthesis based on a paleomagnetic and tectonic analysis, which suggests that (i) the structural pattern over central and eastern Yangtze Craton was probably duemainly to the decollement of its sedimentary cover during the mid-Mesozoic orogeny; (ii) the Tertiary indentation of the Indian continent into Eurasian caused widespread local rotations in western and southwestern South China Block; and (iii) the Phanerozoic structural pattern in southeast China was due to both the mid-Paleozoic Caledonian orogeny and the mid-Mesozoic orogeny.