祁连-柴达木-东昆仑新元古-中生代沉积盆地演化

祁连-柴达木-东昆仑处于中央造山带的中西部, 经历了复杂的构造演化史.将祁连-柴达木-东昆仑地区划分为19个地层分区, 在总结各地层分区沉积盆地特征基础上, 讨论了祁连-柴达木-东昆仑地区的构造-沉积演化史: 新元古代-早古生代, 随着北祁连洋、赛什腾-锡铁山洋、东昆仑洋开始张裂, 研究区为陆缘裂谷、洋盆沉积; 早古生代末3个洋盆陆续消减闭合, 开始造山阶段的前陆盆地和碰撞造山后的陆缘裂陷沉积; 寒武纪-早-中三叠世, 东昆仑阿尼玛卿洋经历了拉张-俯冲-闭合, 之后全区进入陆内断陷、坳陷盆地阶段.研究区各地层分区的沉积盆地特征很好地记录了北祁连洋、赛什腾-锡铁山洋、东昆仑洋的开合及陆内造山等构造过程, 为重大构造事件提供了重要的沉积学证据.      

额尔齐斯-西拉木伦对接带古生代沉积盆地演化

额尔齐斯-西拉木伦对接带位于西伯利亚板块、华北陆块和准噶尔地块之间, 其构造演化和古亚洲洋洋盆的打开与关闭有密切的关系.笔者在系统分析研究区3个二级和19个三级构造单元古生代岩石地层、生物地层及年代地层的基础上, 对沉积盆地进行原型恢复, 共划分出10个盆地类型.同时, 根据沉积盆地充填序列对研究区的构造-沉积演化做出了初步的论述.(1)早古生代-早石炭世古亚洲洋俯冲阶段; (2)早、晚石炭世之交的碰撞演化阶段; (3)晚石炭世-早二叠世碰撞及碰撞后演化阶段.研究认为古亚洲洋的闭合由西向东呈"剪刀式", 时间分别为早石炭世末(318 Ma)和中二叠世-早三叠世(260~245 Ma).三叠纪古亚洲洋消亡总体转为陆相环境.      

Modern volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere and its relations with the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent and with the spatial distribution of hotspots on the Earth: The hypothesis of relations between mantle plumes and deep subduction

The paper reports results of the analysis of the spatial distribution of modern (younger than 2 Ma) volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere and relations between this volcanism and the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent and with the spatial distribution of hotspots of the Earth’s mantle. Products of modern volcanism occur in the Earth’s northern hemisphere in Eurasia, North America, Greenland, in the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean. As anywhere worldwide, volcanism in the northern hemisphere of the Earth occurs as (a) volcanism of mid-oceanic ridges (MOR), (b) subduction-related volcanism in island arcs and active continental margins (IA and ACM), (c) volcanism in continental collision (CC) zones, and (d) within-plate (WP) volcanism, which is related to mantle hotspots, continental rifts, and intercontinental belts. These types of volcanic areas are fairly often neighboring, and then mixed volcanic areas occur with the persistent participation of WP volcanism. Correspondingly, modern volcanism in the Earth’s northern hemisphere is of both oceanic and continental nature. The latter is obviously related to the evolution of the North Pangaea modern supercontinent, because it results from the Meso-Cenozoic evolution of Wegener’s Late Paleozoic Pangaea. North Pangaea in the Cenozoic comprises Eurasia, North and South America, India, and Africa and has, similar to other supercontinents, large sizes and a predominantly continental crust. The geodynamic setting and modern volcanism of North Pangaea are controlled by two differently acting processes: the subduction of lithospheric slabs from the Pacific Ocean, India, and the Arabia, a process leading to the consolidation of North Pangaea, and the spreading of oceanic plates on the side of the Atlantic Ocean, a process that “wedges” the supercontinent, modifies its morphology (compared to that of Wegener’s Pangaea), and results in the intervention of the Atlantic geodynamic regime into the Arctic. The long-lasting (for >200 Ma) preservation of tectonic stability and the supercontinental status of North Pangaea are controlled by subduction processes along its boundaries according to the predominant global compression environment. The long-lasting and stable subduction of lithospheric slabs beneath Eurasia and North America not only facilitated active IA + ACM volcanism but also resulted in the accumulation of cold lithospheric material in the deep mantle of the region. The latter replaced the hot mantle and forced this material toward the margins of the supercontinent; this material then ascended in the form of mantle plumes (which served as sources of WP basite magmas), which are diverging branches of global mantle convection, and ascending flows of subordinate convective systems at the convergent boundaries of plates. Subduction processes (compressional environments) likely suppressed the activity of mantle plumes, which acted in the northern polar region of the Earth (including the Siberian trap magmatism) starting at the latest Triassic until nowadays and periodically ascended to the Earth’s surface and gave rise to WP volcanism. Starting at the breakup time of Wegener’s Pangaea, which began with the opening of the central Atlantic and systematically propagated toward the Arctic, marine basins were formed in the place of the Arctic Ocean. However, the development of the oceanic crust (Eurasian basin) took place in the latter as late as the Cenozoic. Before the appearance of the Gakkel Ridge and, perhaps, also the oceanic portion of the Amerasian basin, this young ocean is thought to have been a typical basin developing in the central part of supercontinents. Wegener’s Pangaea broke up under the effect of mantle plumes that developed during their systematic propagation to the north and south of the Central Atlantic toward the North Pole. These mantle plumes were formed in relation with the development of global and local mantle convection systems, when hot deep mantle material was forced upward by cold subducted slabs, which descended down to the core-mantle boundary. The plume (WP) magmatism of Eurasia and North America was associated with surface collision- or subduction-related magmatism and, in the Atlantic and Arctic, also with surface spreading-related magmatism (tholeiite basalts).     

四川多旋回叠合盆地的形成与演化

四川盆地是典型的经历了多期构造演化过程的克拉通盆地,在其多套沉积层序中富含天然气,天然气的开发利用历史悠久.近年来连续发现了普光、龙岗、合川、新场、九龙山和元坝等多个大气田.揭示四川盆地的形成演化过程,不仅为探讨克拉通盆地的成因机制奠立重要基础,而且为探索强烈构造活动环境之下油气有效聚集与保存机制提供重要线索.本文利用...     

中亚造山带东段晚古生代伸展构造环境的证据:内蒙古双井地区哲斯组沉积学及年代学研究

本研究从沉积学与年代学角度切入,聚焦于中亚造山带东段晚古生代末期的演化历史。以内蒙古双井地区中二叠统哲斯组陆源粗碎屑沉积岩为研究对象,利用沉积剖面实测、岩相古地理分析及锆石年代学测试等方法,厘定其沉积时限与沉积构造环境,以探讨晚古生代末期中亚造山带东段的构造演化历史。来自哲斯组的2个砂岩样品的最年轻谐和锆石组的谐和年龄分别258. 1±1. 9Ma与261. 6±1. 7Ma,在误差范围内相等,限定了研究区内哲斯组地层的最大沉积年龄约为260Ma,处于中二叠世末的Capitanian期;其主要物质来源包括华北板块太古代至早元古代的结晶基底、华北板块北缘早古生代陆缘弧及中-晚泥盆世西别河组。碎屑锆石年代学与沉积学研究表明,研究区内哲斯组所处沉积盆地类型为伸展构造环境下的裂谷盆地,早期具有短时间内快速充填巨厚层粗碎屑沉积的补偿盆地特征,并伴有活跃的同沉积火山与构造活动,发育近岸水下扇相沉积;晚期逐渐转变为过补偿盆地,发育陆相干旱型冲积扇相沉积;表现出沉积环境由海相变为陆相、碎屑物供应充足且近源低成熟度碎屑增多的盆地充填过程。根据沉积相组合及展布、沉积年龄与碎屑锆石主要结晶年龄间隔等特征,结合研究区存在双峰式火山岩及碱性岩带等证据,哲斯组应代表晚古生代末期的裂谷盆地沉积。上述研究提供了中亚造山带东段二叠纪发生陆内伸展过程的证据。     

The rotations opening the Central and Northern Atlantic Ocean: compilation, drift lines, and flow lines

We provide an up-to-date compilation of Euler rotations that model the evolution of the Central and Northern Atlantic Ocean (Table 1). The data basis forms seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies of the Atlantic. We checked the published rotations and selected those that form a consistent model. The increments of the Euler rotations going back in time from magnetic anomaly to magnetic anomaly can be illustrated by chains of points on “drift lines” that are paths of motions from continent to continent. Along these paths, the continents bordering the Atlantic Ocean can be moved back to their Mesozoic position within Pangea. Other figures exhibit the early rifting of the North Atlantic, the drift of Iberia, and the evolution of the Greenland-Ellesmere region. The points on the drift lines do not correspond directly to the lines of magnetic anomalies or their “picks” displayed today symmetrically in the Atlantic Ocean. To acquire correspondence, symmetric “flow lines” are constructed analogous to the spreading procedure. But points on the flow lines constructed by half of the increments partially also deviate from the expected symmetric position and in this way quantify displacements or jumps of the axis of rifting or spreading. Most of the selected rotations are from the excellent analyses of previous work. Essential deviations from published rotations are the M 0 rotations of Eurasia and of the Porcupine unit with respect to North America (EUR-NAM and POR-NAM). They lead to a better coincidence between the back-rotated M 0 magnetic anomalies in the Bay of Biscay on the one side and a change of the first transform motions between Greenland and Svalbard on the other side. Through this explanation, an overlap in Pangea SW of Svalbard is avoided and transform motions instead of strong extension are predicted. Some additional data are needed to complete the model: the earliest part of the path of Iberia to North America (IBA-NAM) up to M 4 is calculated assuming that Iberia moved parallel to the African plate, though with slower spreading rates. The evolution of the Central and North Atlantic Ocean system is described in short. This model of the Central and North Atlantic was produced with the primary intention of clearing and fixing the positions of Africa, Iberia, and Eurasia as a framework for an improved reconstruction of the Western Tethys evolution.     

Distribution and sources of pre-anthropogenic lead isotopes in deep ocean water from FeMn crusts

The lead isotope composition of ocean water is not well constrained due to contamination by anthropogenic lead. Here the global distribution of lead isotopes in deep ocean water is presented as derived from dated (ca. 100 ka) surface layers of hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts. The results indicate that the radiogenic lead in North Atlantic deep water is probably supplied from the continents by river particulates, and that lead in Pacific deep water is similar to that characteristic of island and continental volcanic arcs. Despite a short residence time in deep water (80–100 a), the isotopes of lead appear to be exceedingly well mixed in the Pacific basin. There is no evidence for the import of North Atlantic deep water-derived lead into the Pacific ocean, nor into the North Indian Ocean. This implies that the short residence time of lead in deep water prohibits advection over such long distances. Consequently, any climate-induced changes in deep-water flow are not expected to result in major changes in the seawater Pb-isotope record of the Pacific Ocean.     

A fore-arc origin for the Thrace Basin,NW Turkey

Hydrocarbon-bearing Thrace Basin occupies much of the European part of Turkey. The Middle Eocene to Oligocene sequence in the centre of the basin exceeds 9 km in thickness. Based on the stratigraphy, structure and the regional context of this basin, we propose that it developed as a fore-arc basin between the medial Eocene and the Oligocene, above the northward subducting Intra-Pontide Ocean. Its post-Miocene history has been dominated mainly by wrench tectonics resulting from the activity of the now-deactivated northwestern strand. of the present-day North Anatolian fault zone.     

Plate reconstructions in the Arctic region based on joint analysis of gravity,magnetic, and seismic anomalies

Based on the analysis of various geophysical data, namely, free-air gravity anomalies, magnetic anomalies, upper mantle seismic tomography images, and topography/bathymetry maps, we single out the major structural elements in the Circum Arctic and present the reconstruction of their locations during the past 200 million years. The configuration of the magnetic field patterns allows revealing an isometric block, which covers the Alpha–Mendeleev Ridges and surrounding areas. This block of presumably continental origin is the remnant part of the Arctida Plate, which was the major tectonic element in the Arctic region in Mesozoic time. We believe that the subduction along the Anyui suture in the time period from 200 to 120 Ma caused rotation of the Arctida Plate, which, in turn, led to the simultaneous closure of the South Anyui Ocean and opening of the Canadian Basin. The rotation of this plate is responsible for extension processes in West Siberia and the northward displacement of Novaya Zemlya relative to the Urals–Taimyr orogenic belt. The cratonic-type North American, Greenland, and European Plates were united before 130 Ma. At the later stages, first Greenland was detached from North America, which resulted in the Baffin Sea, and then Greenland was separated from the European Plate, which led to the opening of the northern segment of the Atlantic Ocean. The Cenozoic stage of opening of the Eurasian Basin and North Atlantic Ocean is unambiguously reconstructed based on linear magnetic anomalies. The counter-clockwise rotation of North America by an angle of ~ 15° with respect to Eurasia and the right lateral displacement to 200–250 km ensure an almost perfect fit of the contours of the deep water basin in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.     

The elastic properties of the lithosphere beneath Scotian basin

To assess the possibility that the North Atlantic Ocean may subduct at Scotian basin east of Canada, we investigate the present compensation state of this deep basin. A Fourier domain analysis of the bathymetry, depth to basement and observed gravity anomalies over the oceanic area east of Nova Scotia indicates that the basin is not isostatically compensated. Moreover, the analysis emphasizes that in addition to the sediments, density perturbations exist beneath the basin. The load produced by the sediments and these density perturbations must have been supported by the lithosphere. We simulate the flexure of the lithosphere under this load by that of a thin elastic plate overlying an inviscid interior. It is shown that a plate with a uniform rigidity does not adequately represent the lithosphere beneath the basin as well as the oceanic lithosphere far from the basin, rather the rigidity of the lithosphere directly beneath the basin is about one to two orders of magnitude smaller than elsewhere. We relate this weakening to the thermal blanketing effects of the thick sediments and the fact that the lithosphere has a temperature-dependent rheology. We suggest that this weak zone would have a controlling effect on the reactivation of normal faults at the hinge zone of the basin, that were formed during the break-up of Africa and North America and were locked in the early stages after the break-up. The weak zone would facilitate reactivation of the faults if tensional stresses were produced by possible reorientation of the spreading direction of the North Atlantic Ocean in the future. The reactivation of the faults would create a free boundary condition at the hinge zone, allowing further bending of the lithosphere beneath the basin and juxtaposition of this lithosphere to the mantle beneath the continent. This may provide a favorable situation for initiation of slow subduction due to subsequent compressional forces.     

Across the pond: container shipping on the North Atlantic in the era of globalisation

This paper describes the development of containerisation in one of the most important theatres of maritime trade, the North Atlantic. As the original hearth of containerisation, it has been an area of experimentation and evolution for a technology that has burst around the world. Although over the last decade the Atlantic has been superceded by the Pacific Ocean as the major market focus for containers, it still is an important market arena. The emergence of global shipping networks is tending to favour the Atlantic once again. The paper provides an analysis of these recent developments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中国东北地块群及其构造演化

东北地块群主要有额尔古纳、兴华、松嫩、佳木斯和兴凯等地块,它们都不是从西伯利亚克拉通分裂出来的,而都具有独立的演化史.额尔古纳、兴华地块参与到西伯利亚板块东南大陆边缘古亚洲洋弧盆体系中,组成岛弧-山弧或弧后盆地的一部分;松嫩、佳木斯和兴凯地块分别为泛古洋和古太平洋作用区内亲西伯利亚和亲华北的地块,具有前白垩纪较复杂的演化史.在较详细讨论了东北地块群的构造演化的基础上,认为东北大地构造格架,除可以划分出西伯利亚板块和华北板块外,还应划分出滨太平洋松嫩-佳木斯联合地块、环太平洋兴凯地块、胶辽地块和那丹哈达地体.     

古亚洲洋的演化:来自古生物地层学方面的证据

古亚洲洋的南缘跨越我国新疆、甘肃、内蒙古、黑龙江等地.对位于中国境内的古亚洲洋构造格局及其演化的研究成果进行了详细分析和总结,并归纳出存在的主要分歧.通过分析古亚洲洋构造域地层出露情况和古生物（放射虫、腕足类和古植物）地理分布,提出了2点认识:（1）早古生代,古亚洲洋西段在中国境内的主洋盆可能位于天山地区,东段的主洋盆可能位于艾力格庙-贺根山-林西-黑河一线;晚古生代,古亚洲洋西段的主洋盆位于南天山,东段的主洋盆位于索伦-温都尔庙-西拉木伦-延吉一线.（2）古亚洲洋西段洋盆关闭的时间大概是早石炭-中二叠世,东段洋盆关闭的时间是晚二叠世;其中,北山北部和南天山西南段的洋盆延续至晚二叠世,洋盆关闭的时间可能在二叠纪末或更晚.此外,针对古亚洲洋构造域上古生界地层出露及其研究现状,提出了古生物学和地层学在未来古亚洲洋演化研究中可能发挥的作用及其具体方法.      

辽河(岩)群演化史探讨:以今论古

通过对太平洋和古亚洲洋演化特征的讨论,可以为辽河（岩）群演化历史研究提供许多宝贵的启示.辽河（岩）群不可能是夭亡的裂谷,至少达到了大西洋阶段和太平洋阶段的洋盆.洋盆的闭合挤压造山作用,是一个漫长的（可能需要数亿年）递进变形过程,在此期间形成的所有构造形迹可归纳为一期构造.辽河（岩）群中的面理,以构造置换面理为主,因此,该套地层不适合按照史密斯地层学原理开展地层学研究,应采用岩性填图方法恢复其本来面貌.     

Circulation of water masses in the Baltic Proper revealed through iodine isotopes

Tracer technology has been used to understand water circulation in marine systems where the tracer dose is commonly injected into the marine waters through controlled experiments, accidental releases or waste discharges. Anthropogenic discharges of ¹²⁹I have been used to trace water circulation in the Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean. Here, ¹²⁹I, together with ¹²⁷I, is utilized as a tracer of water pathways and circulation in the Baltic Sea through collection of seawater depth profiles. The results indicate the presence of ¹²⁹I signatures which are distinct for each water mass and provide evidence for: (1) inflow water masses through the Drogden Sill that may reach as far as the SW of the Arkona Sea, (2) a portion of North Atlantic water in the bottom of Arkona basin, (3) cyclonic upwelling which breaks through the halocline in a pattern similar to the Baltic haline conveyor belt and (4) more influx of fresher water from the Gulf of Finland and Bothnian Sea in August relative to April. These findings provide advances in labeling and understanding water pathways in the Baltic Sea.     

Consolidation of the American Cordilleras

The continental margin orogenic systems of the western Americas are enormous features that formed along the Pacific margins of the North and South American plates during late Mesozoic through Cenozoic time. There has been considerable debate concerning their origin, and they are often compared with intra-oceanic fringing arc-trench systems more typical of the Australasian margins of the Pacific Ocean, in that both involve the subduction of oceanic lithosphere, often with similar convergent relative motion vectors. The onset of orogenesis in the two Cordilleras, as shown in reversal of sedimentary polarity from sources generally on the continent to sources along the Pacific margin, seems to date from shortly after emplacement of the oldest oceanic crust in that part of the Atlantic Ocaen east of each continent — i.e., about 170 Ma, or Middle Jurassic, in the case of the Central Atlantic, and about 135 to 100 Ma, or Early to mid-Cretaceous, in the case of the South Atlantic. These ages also seem to mark the onset of westward motion of the two continents over the Pacific Ocean basin and subsequent crustal thickening and uplift, with development of thrust belts, foreland basins, and foredeeps. Prior to this prolonged westward drift, both margins had been convergent for at least several hundred million years, but no massive mountain building had taken place. Instead, the margins were tectonically “neutral”, with typically submarine fringing arc-trench systems or shallow marine to continental margin arcs which stood “outboard” of shallow marine platformal shelves or basins whose main sedimentary polarity was from the continent. Although accretion of “suspect” terranes, high rates of convergence, and age of subducting lithosphere all may have influenced particularly local tectonic response and/or phases of orogenic activity in the two chains, the absolute motion of the two continental margins over the Pacific Ocean basin is considered to have been the dominant factor in Cordilleran tectonic evolution.     

Holocene bipolar climate seesaw: possible subtle evidence from the deep North East Atlantic Ocean?

The occurrence of a millennial‐scale bipolar climate seesaw has been documented in detail for the last glacial period and Termination. There is, however, debate whether it occurs during interglacials and if it does what influence it could have on future climate. We present here new evidence from a North East Atlantic Ocean deep‐sea core which supports the hypothesis for a Holocene bipolar climate seesaw. BENGAL Site 13078#16, from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain, is 4844 m deep and situated at the North Atlantic Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) interface. Planktic foraminiferal fragment accumulation rate data at this site is an indicator of coarse carbonate dissolution, which is highly sensitive to the incursion of under‐saturated AABW. Five dissolution peaks have been identified, which seem to occur approximately 500 a after each of the North Atlantic 'Bond' ice rafting pulses, suggesting a subsequent subtle shallowing of AABW. This indicates a possible lagged climatic link between North East Atlantic surface water conditions and AABW production in the Southern Ocean during the Holocene. This provides the first tentative evidence that there was a Holocene bipolar climate seesaw and that the deep ocean was involved. This study also suggests that extremely sensitive locations need to be sought as the Holocene bipolar climate seesaw seems to be very subtle compared with its glacial counterparts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent volcanism in relation to plate interaction and deep-level geodynamics

The spatial distribution of recent (under 2 Ma) volcanism has been studied in relation to mantle hotspots and the evolution of the present-day supercontinent which we named Northern Pangea. Recent volcanism is observed in Eurasia, North and South America, Africa, Greenland, the Arctic, and the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Several types of volcanism are distinguished: mid-ocean ridge (MOR) volcanism; subduction volcanism of island arcs and active continental margins (IA + ACM); continental collision (CC) volcanism; intraplate (IP) volcanism related to mantle hotspots, continental rifts, and transcontinental belts. Continental volcanism is obviously related to the evolution of Northern Pangea, which comprises Eurasia, North and South America, India, Australia, and Africa. The supercontinent is large, with predominant continental crust. The geodynamic setting and recent volcanism of Northern Pangea are determined by two opposite processes. On one hand, subduction from the Pacific Ocean, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa consolidates the supercontinent. On the other hand, the spreading of oceanic plates from the Atlantic splits Northern Pangea, changes its shape as compared with Wegener’s Pangea, and causes the Atlantic geodynamics to spread to the Arctic. The long-lasting steady subduction beneath Eurasia and North America favored intense IA + ACM volcanism. Also, it caused cold lithosphere to accumulate in the deep mantle in northern Northern Pangea and replace the hot deep mantle, which was pressed to the supercontinental margins. Later on, this mantle rose as plumes (IP mafic magma sources), which were the ascending currents of global mantle convection and minor convection systems at convergent plate boundaries. Wegener’s Pangea broke up because of the African superplume, which occupied consecutively the Central Atlantic, the South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean and expanded toward the Arctic. Intraplate plume magmatism in Eurasia and North America was accompanied by surface collisional or subduction magmatism. In the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, deep-level plume magmatism (high-alkali mafic rocks) was accompanied by surface spreading magmatism (tholeiitic basalts).     

Generations of spreading basins and stages of breakdown of Wegener’s Pangea in the geodynamic evolution of the Arctic Ocean

Chronological succession in the formation of spreading basins is considered in the context of reconstruction of breakdown of Wegener’s Pangea and the development of the geodynamic system of the Arctic Ocean. This study made it possible to indentify three temporally and spatially isolated generations of spreading basins: Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic, and Cenozoic. The first generation is determined by the formation, evolution, and extinction of the spreading center in the Canada Basin as a tectonic element of the Amerasia Basin. The second generation is connected to the development of the Labrador-Baffin-Makarov spreading branch that ceased to function in the Eocene. The third generation pertains to the formation of the spreading system of interrelated ultraslow Mohna, Knipovich, and Gakkel mid-ocean ridges that has functioned until now in the Norwegian-Greenland and Eurasia basins. The interpretation of the available geological and geophysical data shows that after the formation of the Canada Basin, the Arctic region escaped the geodynamic influence of the Paleopacific, characterized by spreading, subduction, formation of backarc basins, collision-related processes, etc. The origination of the Makarov Basin marks the onset of the oceanic regime characteristic of the North Atlantic (intercontinental rifting, slow and ultraslow spreading, separation of continental blocks (microcontinents), extinction of spreading centers of primary basins, spreading jumps, formation of young spreading ridges and centers, etc., are typical) along with retention of northward propagation of spreading systems both from the Pacific and Atlantic sides. The aforesaid indicates that the Arctic Ocean is in fact a hybrid basin or, in other words, a composite heterogeneous ocean in respect to its architectonics. The Arctic Ocean was formed as a result of spatial juxtaposition of two geodynamic systems different in age and geodynamic style: the Paleopacific system of the Canada Basin that finished its evolution in the Late Cretaceous and the North Atlantic system of the Makarov and Eurasia basins that came to take the place of the Paleopacific system. In contrast to traditional views, it has been suggested that asymmetry of the northern Norwegian-Greenland Basin is explained by two-stage development of this Atlantic segment with formation of primary and secondary spreading centers. The secondary spreading center of the Knipovich Ridge started to evolve approximately at the Oligocene-Miocene transition. This process resulted in the breaking off of the Hovgard continental block from the Barents Sea margin. Thus, the breakdown of Wegener’s Pangea and its Laurasian fragments with the formation of young spreading basins was a staged process that developed nearly from opposite sides. Before the Late Cretaceous (the first stage), the Pangea broke down from the side of Paleopacific to form the Canada Basin, an element of the Amerasia Basin (first phase of ocean formation). Since the Late Cretaceous, destructive pulses came from the side of the North Atlantic and resulted in the separation of Greenland from North America and the development of the Labrador-Baffin-Makarov spreading system (second phase of ocean formation). The Cenozoic was marked by the development of the second spreading branch and the formation of the Norwegian-Greenland and Eurasia oceanic basins (third phase of ocean formation). Spreading centers of this branch are functioning currently but at an extremely low rate.     

Provenance and paleogeography of the Early Paleozoic basin in the northern Yangtze Block: Constraints from detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf data

The Proto-Tethys was a significant post-Rodinia breakup ocean that eventually vanished during the Paleozoic. The closure timing and amalgamation history of numerous microblocks within this ocean remain uncertain, while the Early Paleozoic strata on the northern margin of the Yangtze Block archive valuable information about the evolution of the Shangdan Ocean, the branch of the Proto-Tethys. By comparing the detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic data from Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian sedimentary rocks in the northern Yangtze Block with adjacent blocks, it was found that detrital zircons in Cambrian strata exhibit a prominent age peak at ∼ 900–700 Ma, which indicates that the primary source of clastic material in the basin was the uplifted inner and margin regions of the Yangtze Block. In the Silurian, abundant detrital material from the North Qinling Block was transported to the basin due to the continuous subduction and eventual closure of the Shangdan Ocean. This process led to two distinct age peaks at ∼500–400 Ma and ∼900–700 Ma, indicating a bidirectional provenance contribution from both the North Qinling Block and the Yangtze Block. This shift demonstrates that the initial collision between these two blocks occurred no later than the Silurian. The northern Yangtze Basin transitioned from a passive continental margin basin in the Cambrian to a peripheral foreland basin in the Silurian. Major blocks in East Asia, including South Tarim, North Qilian, North Qinling, and North Yangtze, underwent peripheral subduction and magmatic activity to varying degrees during the late Early Paleozoic, signifying the convergence and rapid contraction of microplates within northern Gondwana and the Proto-Tethys Ocean. These findings provide new insights on the tectonic evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.