A systematic re-evaluation of China’s Ordovician tectonic architecture, published in the Journal of Palaeogeography (Chinese Edition), proposes a refined model dividing the region into four mega-regions and 16 sub-regions, resolving decades of ambiguity in the spatial relationships between cratons, microcontinents, and orogenic belts. Led by researchers from the Hubei Key Laboratory of Paleontology and Geological Environment Evolution at the Wuhan Center of China Geological Survey, the study synthesizes stratigraphic, geochronological, and metamorphic data to redefine the roles of key tectonic units during the closure of the roto-Tethys oceans.
The revised framework identifies the North China and Tarim cratons as critical boundaries separating the Paleo-Asian and Proto-Tethys oceanic domains, rather than passive components within them. Microcontinents such as Yining, Qiangtang, and Sibumasu are reinterpreted as mobile crustal fragments within ancient oceans, their metamorphic and sedimentary records providing direct evidence for subduction processes and continental accretion.
Hainan blocks are conclusively linked to Gondwana’s northern margin through zircon provenance analysis, ending longstanding debates about their origins. The Tarim Basin’s Ordovician carbonate platforms—critical to hydrocarbon exploration—are reinterpreted as stable cratonic shelves formed along the Proto-Tethys margin, offering refined models for resource targeting.
The study identifies unresolved questions, such as the tectonic nature of the Songpan-Ganzi block, highlighting the need for advanced geophysical imaging. By aligning regional data with global supercontinent cycles, this research advances understanding of microcontinent dynamics and oceanic closure mechanisms, with implications for metallogeny and paleoenvironmental studies.
Journal of Palaeogeography
Case study
Not applicable
Re-understanding of the Ordovician geographical division in China
10-Feb-2025