Late Mesozoic intracontinental deformation and magmatism in North and NE China in response to multi-plate convergence in NE Asia: An overview and new view

• Published in: Tectonophysics Vol. 835; p. 229377
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yueqiao, Qiu, Erkang, Dong, Shuwen, Li, Jianhua, Shi, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 20.07.2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Compression; Continental margins; Convergence; Cretaceous; Crustal shortening; Deformation; Distribution patterns; Geodynamics; Isotopes; Jurassic; Jurassic-Cretaceous magmatism; Late Mesozoic intracontinental deformation; Magma; major tectonic switches; Mesozoic; Metallogenesis; NE Asia multi-plate convergence; North and NE China; Orogeny; Plate convergence; Plates (tectonics); Spatial distribution; Subduction; Subduction (geology); Tectonics; Tectonophysics; Thickening; Volcanic activity; Volcanism; Asia; China; Late Mesozoic intracontinental deformation; North and NE China; Jurassic-Cretaceous magmatism; NE Asia multi-plate convergence; major tectonic switches
• ISSN: 0040-1951; 1879-3266
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tecto.2022.229377

We review in this paper the major late Mesozoic contractional deformation in North and NE China and establish the tempo-spatial distribution pattern of Jurassic-Cretaceous magmatism, with the aim at clarifying its link with evolving multi-plate convergent geodynamics in NE Asia. We recognize two major changes in tectonic regime, one occurring at ~170 Ma, which marks the tectonic switch from extensional to compressional regimes, while another at ~135 Ma which manifests the change from compressional to extensional settings. Accordingly, Jurassic-Cretaceous magmatism migrated from the marginal zones in ~200 -170 Ma to the continental interior in 170-135 Ma and then was followed by Mid-Cretaceous (135-120 Ma) magmatic flare-up in the continental interior, which migrated progressively eastward since ~120 Ma. Based on these observations, we make a division of three tectonic stages and discuss their plate geodynamic setting. (1) The early stage in 200-170 Ma was dominantly under extensional setting with A-type granitoids and bi-modal volcanism occurring along the eastern and northern marginal zones. (2) The middle stage in 170-135 Ma was manifested by significant multi-directional crustal shortening and rejuvenation of the ancient orogenic belts, as distant response to multi-plate convergence along the East Asia continental margins. (3) The late stage was manifested first by a thermal surge in 135-120 Ma with the formation of extensional structures and rift basins in the continental interior, then followed by alternation of tectonic compression and extension, related to the effect of paleo-Pacific slab subduction. We propose that the thickening acquired during the middle tectonic stage and subsequent lithospheric thinning in the late stage triggered large-scale crustal melting, episodic magmatism and associated metallogenic outbreak in North and NE China. [Display omitted] •Two major tectonic switches were identified to occur at 170 Ma and at 135 Ma in North and NE China.•Jurassic-Cretaceous magmatic migration trends coincide with the change in tectonic regimes.•Jurassic-Cretaceous tectono-magmatic evolution was divided into three stages (200–170 Ma, 170–135 Ma, and 135–75 Ma).•Jurassic-Cretaceous tectonic evolution stages were linked with multi-plate convergence geodynamics in NE Asia.