Magmatism of the Weddell Sea rift system in Antarctica: Implications for the age and mechanism of rifting and early stage Gondwana breakup

Thick (∼800 m) basaltic successions from the eastern Antarctic Peninsula have been dated in the interval 180–177 Ma and preserve a transition from a continental margin arc to a back-arc extensional setting. Amygdaloidal basalts from the Black Coast region of the eastern margin of the Antarctic Peninsula represent a rare onshore example of magmatism associated with back-arc extension that defines the early phase of Weddell Sea rifting and magmatism, and Gondwana breakup. The early phase of extension in the Weddell Sea rift system has previously been interpreted to be related to back-arc basin development with associated magnetic anomalies attributed to mafic-intermediate magmatism, but with no clearly defined evidence of back-arc magmatism. The analysis provided here identifies the first geochemical evidence of a transition from arc-like basalts to the development of depleted back-arc basin basalts in the interval 180–177 Ma. The exposed Black Coast basaltic successions are interpreted to form a minor component of magmatism that is also defined by onshore sub-ice magnetic anomalies, as well as the extensive magnetic anomalies of the southern Weddell Sea. Back-arc magmatism is also preserved on the Falkland Plateau where intrusions postdating 180 Ma are associated with early phase rifting in the Weddell Sea rift system. Back-arc extension was probably short-lived and had ceased by the time the northern Weddell Sea magmatism was emplaced (<175 Ma) and certainly by 171 Ma, when an episode of silicic magmatism was widespread along the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. Previous attempts to correlate mafic magmatism from the eastern Antarctic Peninsula to the Ferrar large igneous province, or, as part of a bimodal association with the Chon Aike silicic province are both dismissed based on age and geochemical criteria.     

中国东南部晚中生代-新生代玄武岩与壳幔作用

中国东南部的火山活动在早中生代时期仅有很小规模,晚中生代最早的、较大规模的岩浆活动始于中侏罗世早期,至早白垩世是火山岩浆活动的鼎盛期,在近100个Ma的时间内形成了大面积分布的晚中生代火山-侵入岩,而在新生代则以面积较小的玄武岩浆喷出活动为主,局限分布于沿海一带。以晚中生代湘南、赣南和闽西南的近EW向火山岩带和浙、闽沿海地区的近NNE向火山岩带,以及新生代近NNE向火山岩带为研究对象,对这些火山岩的地球化学特征对比研究,结合时空分布,讨论了它们的起源及其与壳幔相互作用的关系,以及它们形成的构造环境,其结果显示,EW向晚中生代火山岩带（180～170Ma）的西段玄武岩独立产出,且明显属碱性系列;而中段和东段玄武岩和流纹岩伴生,其中的玄武岩均为亚碱性系列的拉斑玄武岩。它们形成于板内拉张构造环境,是中国东南部特提斯构造域向太平洋构造域转换、晚中生代大规模岩浆作用的序幕。研究表明,该火山岩带自西向东表现出不同程度的壳幔相互作用,玄武岩在成岩过程中有少量陆壳组分加入。NNE向晚中生代火山岩带（130～90Ma）主要为流纹质岩石,安山岩和玄武岩很少。即使是双峰式火山岩也以酸性岩为主,玄武岩仅占全部火山岩体积的30％以下。其中的玄武岩主要属钙碱性系列,少数属拉斑系列。它们形成于火山弧构造环境,是中国东南部受太平洋构造域影响发生大规模火山岩浆作用的主旋律。其中玄武岩岩浆成分受到了较高程度的陆壳物质混染,同时代的中性火山岩是由底侵的玄武岩岩浆和陆壳物质来源的酸性岩浆发生岩浆混合作用而形成的,反映了强烈的壳幔相互作用。NNE向新生代火山岩带,分布在浙闽沿海,以碱性系列玄武岩为主,均含幔源包体,并受NNE向大陆边缘断裂构造的控制。它们形成于板内裂谷环境,是中国东南沿海由晚中生代火山弧构造环境转换为新生代板内裂谷环境的标志,起源于软流圈地幔,并有EMII岩石圈地幔的混合组分,但基本没有受到陆壳物质的混染。     

渤海湾盆地晚中生代以来伸展模式及动力学机制

通过分析盆地区大陆伸展模型参数、火成岩地球化学特征时空演化、岩石圈分层伸展几何学和运动学、应力场-变形场的匹配和演化,文章对渤海湾盆地晚中生代以来伸展断陷的动力学过程进行了系统讨论。晚中生代,盆地北、西部以变质核杂岩模式伸展,南、东部以宽裂陷模式伸展;在岩石圈伸展过程中,地壳变形方式为简单剪切,岩石圈地幔变形方式为纯剪切;盆地处于洋壳俯冲背景下弧后伸展区,盆地及西、北部隆起区岩石圈地幔为EM1型,而南、东部隆起区受扬子板块俯冲改造成类似EM2型;盆地变形的力源为板块相对运动产生的引张力,以及郯庐断裂的走滑作用。新生代,渤海湾盆地以窄裂陷模式伸展,地壳和岩石圈地幔变形方式均为纯剪,但岩石圈地幔伸展强度大于地壳;盆地处于大陆内裂谷环境,软流圈地幔上涌并改造岩石圈地幔,且盆地裂陷的力源以软流圈地幔上涌产生的引张力为主。     

Middle Paleozoic basic magmatism of the northwestern Vilyui Rift: Composition, sources, and geodynamics

Middle Paleozoic magmatism at the eastern Siberian platform was related to riftogenic processes, which were most clearly expressed in the Vilyui Rift and led to the formation of rift depressions filled with sedimentary-volcanogenic rocks and extended basaltic dike belts in rift shoulders. Two fields of diamondiferous kimberlites were found along with basaltic dikes in the Vilyui-Markha dike belt surrounding rift in the northwest. Active subalkali basaltic magmatism predated the emplacement of kimberlite bodies, which occasionally (Nyurba pipe) are cut by dikes of potassium alkali basalts. Based on geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic characteristics, deep-seated sources were determined for the intrusive and volcanic basalts of the northwestern shoulder of the Vilyui rift. The REE distribution patterns of the studied rocks normalized to the primitive mantle are close to that of OIB, except for somewhat higher HREE. In the diagrams of indicator ratios of trace and rare-earth elements, the basalts are also plotted in the OIB field, being located between the end member of plume composition (FOZO) and enriched mantle sources. The rocks have positive ε_Sr (+3.5 and +28.6) and ε_Nd (+1.3 and +5.3). In a diagram ε_Nd(T)-ε_Sr(T), two fields with distinct content of radiogenic Sr are distinguished, which can be regarded as derived by mixing of the moderately depleted PREMA-type mantle and a source enriched in radiogenic Sr. Available isotope-geochemical data confirm that OIB type basalts of the region were generated by plume activity. The geodynamic setting of Middle Paleozoic magmatism and rifting in the eastern part of the Siberian platform is considered in light of plume-lithosphere interaction. The sequence of tectonomagmatic events during evolution of the Vilyui rift is consistent with the model of plume-lithosphere interaction or the model of active rifting.     

Permian komatiites and associated basalts from the marine sediments of Chhongtash Formation, southeast Karakoram, Ladakh, India

Summary The Karakoram micro-plate is the southern most sector of the Central Asian micro-plate mosaic which was separated by a narrow rift basin. A major rifting phase started during Permian time, which lead to drift of not only Karakoram but of the entire Eurasian (Asian) Plate from Gondwana land. This was at a time when a prominent sequence of black argillites occupied most part of the Karakoram Tethys basin. The geodynamic setting for this sequence may be interpreted as the evolution of a passive margin affected by extensional tectonics. The extensional activity is evident from the extrusion of basalts and komatiitic rocks in the region. In this paper the geochemical relations between komatiites and basalts of the Chhongtash, southeast Karakoram are investigated. The basaltic and komatiitic (ultrabasic) flows are petrologically and geochemically distinct, yet they display a close spatial and temporal association, and they are related to each other through olivine and clinopyroxene fractionation. The chemical characteristics of the ultrabasic to basic magmatism in the region is consistent with formation above a mantle plume that impinged on the continental lithosphere. Hence, a model of partial melting in a mantle plume and fractional crystallization in a deep-seated magma chamber is envisaged to explain the evolution of these volcanic rocks. The komatiite melts are interpreted to have been derived by high degree partial melting of mantle plumes in the tail region, while the basalts were interpreted to be the result of interaction of source plume with cool mantle through which the plume head passed. This study is the first of its kind, to suggest a rift related nature in the Chhongtash, southeast Karakoram, that represent the initial stage of Mesozoic rifting along the southern margin of Eurasia when Gondwana started to drift away from Eurasia.     

Basinal setting and origin of thick (1·8 km) mass‐flow dominated Grand Conglomérat diamictites,Kamoa, Democratic Republic of Congo: Resolving climate and tectonic controls during Neoproterozoic glaciations

The Kamoa sub‐basin, in the south‐eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a rift basin that hosts a world‐class stratiform copper deposit at the base of a very thick (1·8 km) succession of matrix‐supported conglomerates (diamictite) (Grand Conglomérat Formation) that has been interpreted by some as the product of deposition in the aftermath of a planet‐wide glaciation. Newly available subsurface data consisting of more than 300 km of drill core throws new light on the origin of diamictite and associated facies types, and their tectonic, basinal and palaeoclimatic setting. Initiation of rifting is recorded by a lowermost subaqueous succession of fault‐related mass flow conglomerates and breccias (the ‘Poudingue’) with interdigitating coeval and succeeding sandstone turbidites (Mwashya Subgroup). Overlying diamictites of the Grand Conglomérat were deposited as subaqueous debrites produced by mixing and homogenization of antecedent breccias and gravel from the Poudingue and Mwashya sediments with basinal muds. Failure of over‐steepened basin margins and debris flow was likely to be triggered by faulting and seismic activity, and was accompanied by syn‐depositional subaqueous basaltic magmatism recorded by peperites and pillow lavas within diamictites. The thickness of diamictites reflects recurring phases of faulting, volcanism and rapid subsidence allowing continued accommodation of rapidly deposited resedimented facies well below wave base. A distal or indirect, glacial influence in the form of rare dropstones and striated clasts is evident, but tectonically‐driven mass flow destroyed any primary record of glacial climate originally present in basin margin sediments. Such basin margin settings were common during Rodinia rifting and their stratigraphy and facies record a dominant tectonic, rather than climatic, control on sedimentation. Deposition occurred on tectonic timescales inconsistent with a Snowball Earth model for Neoproterozoic diamictites involving a direct glacial contribution to deposition.     

L'ouverture et le développement du bassin de Morondava (Madagascar) du Carbonifère supérieur au Jurassique moyen. Données stratigraphiques, sédimentaires, paléontologiques et structurales

In the western part of Madagascar, the Morondava Basin shows the Malagasy Karoo series, made of Late Carboniferous-Mid-Permian (Sakoa), Late Permian-Mid-Triassic (Sakamena) and Late Triassic-Mid-Jurassic (Isalo) sequences. The sedimentary facies are mainly aerial and clastic in the series, and the marine conditions are fully established after Lower Jurassic times, when the strait between Africa and Madagascar was flooded.The Karoo basins where these series were deposited are mainly hemi-grabens. Their filling proceeded from west to east and from south to north. Distinction between the southern and northern part of the Morondava Basin suggests that development of the basin was controlled by old crustal weakness zones trending north-northwest-south-southeast and north-northeast-south-southwest.     

扬子西缘洋岛型与岛弧型火山岩岩石成因与构造意义:从板内裂谷到洋-陆俯冲

扬子西缘晚中元古代—早新元古代岩浆岩对扬子陆块构造演化以及Rodinia超大陆的汇聚和裂解至关重要。本文获得扬子西缘会理群天宝山组玄武质凝灰岩和盐边群渔门组角闪安山岩SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年龄分别为(1 035±15) Ma和(884±9) Ma。天宝山组玄武质凝灰岩属于碱性玄武岩系列,富集大离子亲石元素和高场强元素,具有正的ε_Nd(t)值(4.6),表现出与洋岛玄武岩相似的地球化学特征。天宝山组火山岩来自以石榴子石和尖晶石为稳定区的地幔橄榄岩1%~5%的部分熔融。渔门组角闪安山岩属于钙碱性岛弧玄武岩系列,以富集大离子亲石元素和轻稀土,亏损高场强元素为特征,具有明显的Nb、Ta、Ti负异常,ε_Nd(t)值为1.1~2.8。渔门组火山岩来自以石榴子石和尖晶石为稳定区的地幔橄榄岩5%~15%的部分熔融。构造背景判别图解指示天宝山组玄武质凝灰岩形成于被动大陆边缘板内裂谷盆地,而渔门组角闪安山岩形成于活动大陆边缘岛弧环境。根据本文获得的年代学及地球化学数据,笔者认为扬子西缘与大陆裂谷相关的天宝山组火山岩和与板块俯冲有关的渔门组火山岩,记录了新元古代早期构造动力学背景由板内裂谷转为洋-陆俯冲的变化。     

Cryogenian ophiolite tectonics and metallogeny of the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt

The Central Eastern Desert (CED) is characterized by the widespread distribution of Neoproterozoic intra-oceanic island arc ophiolitic assemblages. The ophiolitic units have both back-arc and forearc geochemical signatures. The forearc ophiolitic units lie to the west of the back-arc related ones, indicating formation of an intra-oceanic island arc system above an east-dipping subducted slab (present coordinates). Following final accretion of the Neoproterozoic island arc into the western Saharan Metacraton, cordilleran margin magmatism started above a new W-dipping subduction zone due to a plate polarity reversal. We identify two belts in the CED representing ancient arc–forearc and arc–back-arc assemblages. The western arc–forearc belt is delineated by major serpentinite bodies running ～NNW–SSE, marking a suture zone. Ophiolitic units in the back-arc belt to the east show an increase in the subduction geochemical signature from north to south, culminating in the occurrence of bimodal volcanic rocks farther south. This progression in subduction magmatism resulted from diachronous opening of a back-arc basin from north to south, with a bimodal volcanic arc evolving farther to the south. The intra-oceanic island arc units in the CED include coeval Algoma-type banded iron formations (BIFs) and volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits. Formation of the BIFs was related to opening of an ocean basin to the north, whereas development of the VMS was related to rifting of the island arc in the south. Gold occurs as vein-type mineral deposits, concentrated along the NNW–SSE arc–forearc belt. The formation of these vein-type gold ore bodies was controlled by the circulation of hydrothermal fluids through serpentinites that resulted in Au mobilization, as constrained by the close spatial association of auriferous quartz veins with serpentinites along the western arc–forearc belt.     

Petrology and geochemistry of sandstones in the southern Benue Trough of Nigeria： Implications for provenance and tectonic setting

Petrographic and geochemical analyses of three Cretaceous lithostratigraphic sandstone units were undertaken to constrain their provenance and tectonic setting. Petrographic analysis showed that there are differences in composition between the three sandstone bodies, which can be attributed to differences in provenance relief, transport distance and geology of the terrain. Composition of the three lithostratigraphic sandstone bodies fall within the craton interior field.
Framework mode and chemical features indicated their derivation from basaltic volcanics, source rocks during the early rifting stage, and felsic, intermediate and mafic igneous source rocks located at the southeast basement complex terrain, with minor sedimentary components from the uplifted and folded older Cretaceous strata.
The chemical composition of the sandstones is mainly related to source rocks, chemical weathering conditions and transport agents. The source rocks were derived mainly from the southeastern Precambrian basement of Nigeria. Through examination of the sandstones, the tectonic setting was modeled. The Benue Trough belongs to a continental sedimentary basin of the passive margin type.
The tectonic evolution from Albian to Maastrichtain of the trough is contributed to the difference in framework mode and chemical composition of the sandstones. The evolution of the basin was reconstructed in terms of sandstone petrology and geochemistry. The tectonic evolution can be subdivided into three stages from the petrology and geochemistry data. The first stage covers Albian; the second stage the Turonian-Coniacian, and the third stage the Campanian-Maastrichtain. These are the three mega discontinuities in the sandstone composition among these three stages. These three discontinuities signify the influence of tectonism.     

塔里木板块早—中二叠世玄武质岩浆作用的沉积响应

塔里木板块内部发育了大量由早—中二叠世板内岩浆作用所形成的、以玄武岩类为主的基性岩浆岩,包括玄武岩、辉绿岩、玄武安山岩等,残余分布面积约20万km2。而二叠纪时期是塔里木板块演化过程中一个非常重要的转折时期,从早二叠世晚期开始塔里木板块结束了海相沉积,进入了陆相沉积阶段。通过对塔里木板块的岩浆作用特征和石炭纪—二叠纪沉积相的分析,笔者讨论了这一大规模的岩浆作用对板块晚石炭世—二叠纪的沉积作用所起的控制作用,提出了塔里木板块早—中二叠世巨量玄武质岩浆作用的沉积响应过程模式。     

Cretaceous crustal thinning in North Africa: Implications for magmatic and thermal events in the Eastern Tunisian margin and the Pelagic Sea

The integrated use of geological, geophysical, and geochemical data from Eastern Tunisia onshore and offshore samples indicate a crustal thinning induced from the Tethyan rifting. This is responsible for the subsequent evolution of the North African passive margin during the Late Cretaceous, and the creation of the fold–thrust belt and associated foreland deformations. This thinned crust was an area of mantle upwelling that favoured the increase of isotherms, the uprise of basalt magma, and the circulation of hydrothermal fluids. The Cretaceous magmatism generated a major hydrothermal event characterised by the circulation of hot fluids along faults and a relatively high heat flow in the basin. Temperature elevation and hydrothermal conditions led to alteration of basalts and generated a new mineral equilibrium around the enclosing sedimentary deposits.     

Cretaceous crustal thinning in North Africa: Implications for magmatic and thermal events in the Eastern Tunisian margin and the Pelagic Sea

The integrated use of geological, geophysical, and geochemical data from Eastern Tunisia onshore and offshore samples indicate a crustal thinning induced from the Tethyan rifting. This is responsible for the subsequent evolution of the North African passive margin during the Late Cretaceous, and the creation of the fold–thrust belt and associated foreland deformations. This thinned crust was an area of mantle upwelling that favoured the increase of isotherms, the uprise of basalt magma, and the circulation of hydrothermal fluids. The Cretaceous magmatism generated a major hydrothermal event characterised by the circulation of hot fluids along faults and a relatively high heat flow in the basin. Temperature elevation and hydrothermal conditions led to alteration of basalts and generated a new mineral equilibrium around the enclosing sedimentary deposits.     

Early‐Middle Paleozoic Andes‐type Continental Margin in the Chifeng Area,Inner Mongolia: Framework,Geochronology and Geochemistry and Implications for Tectonic Evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Three tectonic units have been recognized in the Chifeng area, Inner Mongolia, from north to south, including the Qiganmiao accretionary prism, Jiefangyingzi arc belt and Sidaozhangpeng molasse basin, which formed an Andeantype active continent margin during the early to middle Paleozoic. The Qiganmiao accretionary prism is characterized by a mélange that consists of gabbro, two-mica quartz schist and basic volcanic rock blocks and heterogeneously deformed marble matrix. Two zircon U-Pb ages of 446.0±6.3 Ma and 1104±27 Ma have been acquired and been interpreted as the metamorphic and forming ages for the gabbro and two-mica quartz schist, respectively. The prism formed during the early to middle Paleozoic southward subduction of the Paleo Asian Ocean(PAO) and represents a suture between the North China craton(NCC) and Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB). The Jiefangyingzi arc belt consists of pluton complex and volcanic rocks of the Xibiehe and Badangshan Formations, and Geochronology analysis indicates that the development of it can be divided into two stages. The first stage is represented by the Xibiehe Formation volcanic rocks, which belong to the subalkaline series, enriched LREE and LILE and depleted HFSE, with negative Eu anomalies, and plot in the volcanic arc field in discrimination diagrams. These characters indicate that the Xibiehe Formation results from to the continental arc magmatic activity related to the subduction of the PAO during 400–420 Ma. Magmatism of the second stage in 380–390 Ma consists of the Badangshan Formation volcanic rocks. Geochemistry analysis reveals that rhyolite, basaltic andesite and basalt of the Badangshan Formation were developed in continental margin arc setting. Moreover, the basaltic andesite and basalt display positive Sr anomalies, and the basalt have very low Nb/La values, suggesting that fluid is involved in magma evolution and the basalts were contaminated by continental crust. The sequence of Sidaozhangpeng molasse basin is characterized by proximity, coarseness and large thickness, similar to the proximity molasses basin. According to our field investigation, geochronological and geochemical data, combined with previous research in this area, a tectonic evolutionary model for Andes-type active continental margin of the CAOB has been proposed, including a development of the subduction-free PAO before 446 Ma, a subduction of the PAO and arc-related magmatism during 446–380 Ma, and formation of a molasse basin during 380–360 Ma.     

塔里木盆地夏河南层状玄武岩的岩石地球化学特征及地质意义

塔里木盆地夏河南玄武岩露头以水平层状分布为最大特征,其玄武岩层和沉积夹层保持了较原始的产状,是研究塔里木盆地二叠纪多期次玄武质岩浆活动的理想场所,是对比盆地内其他玄武质岩浆活动的最佳剖面。本文通过详细的野外和遥感解译工作,报道了夏河南玄武岩的野外产状、岩相学特征和各层玄武岩的地球化学特征,探讨了夏河南玄武岩的岩浆源区和岩浆演化过程。研究认为夏河南玄武岩质岩浆来源于富集的岩石圈地幔,为尖晶石-石榴石二辉橄榄岩经历低程度部分熔融的产物,各层玄武岩的成分差异与部分熔融程度有关,单一层内玄武岩的岩浆演化以分离结晶为主,地壳混染程度较小。夏河南各层玄武岩来源于同一岩浆源区,其特征与柯坪玄武岩相似,可对应于柯坪地区开派兹雷克组的6层玄武岩。研究进一步明确了塔里木盆地早二叠世玄武岩的空间分布特征,证实塔里木早二叠世大火成岩省的玄武质岩浆作用可从柯坪地区延伸到夏河南、塔中、塔西南等地。     

Cretaceous magmatism and lithospheric extension in Southeast China

A new compilation of reliable isotope age data indicates that Cretaceous magmatism in SE China occurred in four major episodes during 136–146 Ma, 122–129 Ma, 101–109 Ma and 87–97 Ma. A-type granitic and within-plate basaltic magmatism from 140–90 Ma suggests a dominant extensional environment in the region. Voluminous coeval high-K calc-alkaline rocks, which have geochemical features similar to those formed in continental back-arc and post-collision extension settings, are interpreted to have been generated in response to lithospheric extension. Cretaceous magmatism, NNE-trending wrench faulting and formation of extensional basin systems favour an extensional tectonic regime in SE China at that time, which was probably similar to present-day Basin and Range Province in the western US.     

L'évolution géologique de Madagascar et la dislocation du Gondwana: une introduction

Between eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean, Madagascar was a part of the Gondwana at the end of the Proterozoic. Its evolution, from the Carboniferous through to the present times, displays successive stages of the Gondwana disintegration.The original location of Madagascar, close to present Kenya, is deduced from sedimentological, structural and palæomagnetic data. During Permo-Triassic times, it was submitted to a northeast-southwest regional extension, which resulted in the opening of the Karoo Basins. During the Mid-Late Jurassic, opening of the Somalian and Mozambican Oceanic Basins was accompanied by the translation of Madagascar along a north-south trending transform fault, located along the present Davie Ridge. The Late Cretaceous was characterised in the island by an acceleration of the subsidence in the coastal basins and by an important magmatic, essentially effusive, activity. This marked the beginning of a northeast-southwest extension, opening of the Mascarene Oceanic Basin and separation of India from Madagascar. Since the Neogene up to present times, another extensional regime developed, as in eastern Africa, characterised by a roughly east-west extensional horizontal direction, which results in the opening of faulted basins and the emission of Pliocene-Quaternary alkaline magmas.     

Carboniferous Bimodal Volcanic Rocks and Their Plate Tectonic Setting,Hainan Island

The Carboniferous volcanic rocks in western Hainan Island consist of a series of oceanic tholeite and rhyoporphyrite,showing bimodal nature.Similar geochemical characters,in terms of abun-daces and relative rations of incompatible elements and REE and the REE patterns,between the basalt and continental rift-associated tholeiite indicate the occurrence of Late Paleozoic rifting in the area.The basaltic magma,with a low degree of evolution,was originated from deep mantle,show-ing contamination by low crustal material.The rhyolite is thought to be formed from partial melting of the continental crust by higher thermal flow in a rift environment rather than from fractional crystallization of a basaltic magma.     

Evolution of the eastern margin of Korea: Constraints on the opening of the East Sea (Japan Sea)

We interpreted marine seismic profiles in conjunction with swath bathymetric and magnetic data to investigate rifting to breakup processes at the eastern Korean margin that led to the separation of the southwestern Japan Arc. The eastern Korean margin is rimmed by fundamental elements of rift architecture comprising a seaward succession of a rift basin and an uplifted rift flank passing into the slope, typical of a passive continental margin. In the northern part, rifting occurred in the Korea Plateau that is a continental fragment extended and partially segmented from the Korean Peninsula. Two distinguished rift basins (Onnuri and Bandal Basins) in the Korea Plateau are bounded by major synthetic and smaller antithetic faults, creating wide and considerably symmetric profiles. The large-offset border fault zones of these basins have convex dip slopes and demonstrate a zig-zag arrangement along strike. In contrast, the southern margin is engraved along its length with a single narrow rift basin (Hupo Basin) that is an elongated asymmetric half-graben. Analysis of rift fault patterns suggests that rifting at the Korean margin was primarily controlled by normal faulting resulting from extension rather than strike-slip deformation. Two extension directions for rifting are recognized: the Onnuri and Hupo Basins were rifted in the east-west direction; the Bandal Basin in the east–west and northwest–southeast directions, suggesting two rift stages. We interpret that the east–west direction represents initial rifting at the inner margin; while the Japan Basin widened, rifting propagated southeastward repeatedly from the Japan Basin toward the Korean margin but could not penetrate the strong continental lithosphere of the Korean Shield and changed the direction to the south, resulting in east–west extension to create the rift basins at the Korean margin. The northwest–southeast direction probably represents the direction of rifting orthogonal to the inferred line of breakup along the base of the slope of the Korea Plateau; after breakup the southwestern Japan Arc separated in the southeast direction, indicating a response to tensional tectonics associated with the subduction of the Pacific Plate in the northwest direction. No significant volcanism was involved in initial rifting. In contrast, the inception of sea floor spreading documents a pronounced volcanic phase which appears to reflect asthenospheric upwelling as well as rift-induced convection particularly in the narrow southern margin. We suggest that structural and igneous evolution of the Korean margin, although it is in a back-arc setting, can be explained by the processes occurring at the passive continental margin with magmatism influenced by asthenospheric upwelling.