The distinctive characteristics of the Sino-Korean and the Yangtze plates

• Published in: Journal of Asian earth sciences Vol. 20; no. 8; pp. 881 - 888
• Main Authors: Wan, Tianfeng, Zeng, Hualin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.11.2002
• Subjects: Archaean; Sino-Korean Plate; Yangtze Plate; Sino-Korean Plate; Yangtze Plate; Archaean
• ISSN: 1367-9120; 1878-5786
• DOI: 10.1016/S1367-9120(01)00068-2

The Sino-Korean and Yangtze plates in China have been distinguished by comparing their geological, geochemical and geophysical characteristics, and by recognizing the distinctive tectonic role of these plates during their geological evolution. Many lines of evidence suggest that they have always been separate plates, the time of formation of the crystalline basement, the occurrence of particular elements (ΣFeO, MgO, Mo, Li, Rb, Sc, Cu) and the ratio of elements (Zr/Hf, Nb/Ta) in both crust and mantle, whether Middle Proterozoic sequences are metamorphosed or un-metamorphosed, whether or not the rocks were affected by the Jinning event (about 850 Ma), the phosphate and black shale systems of the Early Cambrian, the disconformities in the sequence at about 400 Ma, the development of coal systems in the Late Paleozoic, evidence for movements of the plates during the Paleozoic, the thickness of lithosphere, variation in the average P and shear wave velocities, the presence or absence of a low resistance layer in the crust. All these characteristics distinguish the Sino-Korean Plate from the Yangtze Plate and show that gross differences can be recognized in the geochemistry, geophysics and geological evolution of the two plates since the Archaean. There is no evidence that they once formed part of single plate.