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postgraduate thesis: Subduction and closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the Solonker suture zone : constraints from an integrated sedimentary provenance analysis

TitleSubduction and closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the Solonker suture zone : constraints from an integrated sedimentary provenance analysis
Authors
Issue Date2014
PublisherThe University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong)
Citation
Eizenhöefer, P. R.. (2014). Subduction and closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the Solonker suture zone : constraints from an integrated sedimentary provenance analysis. (Thesis). University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.5353/th_b5481884
AbstractThe Central Asian Orogenic Belt formed by accretion subsequent to the contraction of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean that ultimately disappeared along the Solonker Suture Zone in East Asia. Since typical regional collisional features are absent, the tectonic evolution of the suture remains speculative. Integrated sedimentary provenance analyses across the accretionary collision zone between the Mongolian Arcs and the North China Craton place new constraints on the events that led to final suturing. An investigation on the geochronological and geochemical variability in Permian strata along a southeast-northwest transect revealed distinct differences across the Solonker Suture Zone: northern basins carry a broad Mesoproterozoic to latest Precambrian age signature, and their provenance terranes are of mixed juvenile to crustal magmatic origin. In contrast, southern basins contain detritus from the North China Craton, and their sources are of dominantly crustal contaminated magmatic origin. Provenance analysis suggests, that in the Early Palaeozoic (ca. 429 Ma) the Palaeo-Asian Ocean was consumed along the Uliastai Arc and the North China Craton, initiating the formation of the Northern and Southern Accretionary Orogens, respectively. By the end of the Middle Carboniferous the Mongolian Arcs consolidated after accretion of the Uliastai Arc. In the Late Carboniferous (ca. 314 Ma) the Hegenshan back-arc basin opened, detaching the Northern Accretionary Orogen. While subduction continued there, it may have temporarily ceased along the Southern Accretionary Orogen after accretion of a microcontinent (ca. 300 Ma). During the Middle Permian back-arc basin closure led to the formation and obduction of the Hegenshan supra-subduction zone ophiolite. Eventually, the Palaeo-Asian Ocean closed after wedge-wedge collision, which would not involve continental deep subduction, thus, leading to cryptic suturing from the Late Permian to Early Triassic. Statistical analyses on the heterogeneity and similarity of the age probability density functions require a complex Permian palaeo-geographic setting, involving a variety of arc basins, which received sediments dependent on the contemporary arc geometry. Early stages of the sequence likely resembled a Pacific-type scenario, including Japan-type back-arc basin opening, whereas the late stages were similar to the archipelago-type setting of present-day Southeast Asia.
DegreeDoctor of Philosophy
SubjectSuture zones (Structural geology) - China - Inner Mongolia
Dept/ProgramEarth Sciences
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/211133
HKU Library Item IDb5481884

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorEizenhöefer, Paul Reinhold-
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-07T23:10:44Z-
dc.date.available2015-07-07T23:10:44Z-
dc.date.issued2014-
dc.identifier.citationEizenhöefer, P. R.. (2014). Subduction and closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the Solonker suture zone : constraints from an integrated sedimentary provenance analysis. (Thesis). University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.5353/th_b5481884-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/211133-
dc.description.abstractThe Central Asian Orogenic Belt formed by accretion subsequent to the contraction of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean that ultimately disappeared along the Solonker Suture Zone in East Asia. Since typical regional collisional features are absent, the tectonic evolution of the suture remains speculative. Integrated sedimentary provenance analyses across the accretionary collision zone between the Mongolian Arcs and the North China Craton place new constraints on the events that led to final suturing. An investigation on the geochronological and geochemical variability in Permian strata along a southeast-northwest transect revealed distinct differences across the Solonker Suture Zone: northern basins carry a broad Mesoproterozoic to latest Precambrian age signature, and their provenance terranes are of mixed juvenile to crustal magmatic origin. In contrast, southern basins contain detritus from the North China Craton, and their sources are of dominantly crustal contaminated magmatic origin. Provenance analysis suggests, that in the Early Palaeozoic (ca. 429 Ma) the Palaeo-Asian Ocean was consumed along the Uliastai Arc and the North China Craton, initiating the formation of the Northern and Southern Accretionary Orogens, respectively. By the end of the Middle Carboniferous the Mongolian Arcs consolidated after accretion of the Uliastai Arc. In the Late Carboniferous (ca. 314 Ma) the Hegenshan back-arc basin opened, detaching the Northern Accretionary Orogen. While subduction continued there, it may have temporarily ceased along the Southern Accretionary Orogen after accretion of a microcontinent (ca. 300 Ma). During the Middle Permian back-arc basin closure led to the formation and obduction of the Hegenshan supra-subduction zone ophiolite. Eventually, the Palaeo-Asian Ocean closed after wedge-wedge collision, which would not involve continental deep subduction, thus, leading to cryptic suturing from the Late Permian to Early Triassic. Statistical analyses on the heterogeneity and similarity of the age probability density functions require a complex Permian palaeo-geographic setting, involving a variety of arc basins, which received sediments dependent on the contemporary arc geometry. Early stages of the sequence likely resembled a Pacific-type scenario, including Japan-type back-arc basin opening, whereas the late stages were similar to the archipelago-type setting of present-day Southeast Asia.-
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherThe University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong)-
dc.relation.ispartofHKU Theses Online (HKUTO)-
dc.rightsThe author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works.-
dc.rightsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.-
dc.subject.lcshSuture zones (Structural geology) - China - Inner Mongolia-
dc.titleSubduction and closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the Solonker suture zone : constraints from an integrated sedimentary provenance analysis-
dc.typePG_Thesis-
dc.identifier.hkulb5481884-
dc.description.thesisnameDoctor of Philosophy-
dc.description.thesislevelDoctoral-
dc.description.thesisdisciplineEarth Sciences-
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_version-
dc.identifier.doi10.5353/th_b5481884-
dc.identifier.mmsid991005692659703414-

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