Late Mesozoic Convergent Continental Margin with Magmatic Arc from East to South China Seas: A Review

The Late Mesozoic is an important tectonic period for subduction of Paleo-Pacific slab beneath East Asia continent. It intensely led to Jurassic to Cretaceous magmatism associated with intracontinental deformation in South China. Subduction-related accretionary complexes remained regionally from SW Japan, E Taiwan to the W Philippines and Borneo. Studies on geology in South China, especially in magmatism, have been performed with good data, results, and sufficient understandings; whereas those arc-related intermediate igneous rocks have been less found. The areas from East to South China Seas which are located at the junction between sea and land will be the preferred areas for the study of the Late Mesozoic magmatic arc and the forearc basin. The relevant arc-related magmatic rocks and forearc sedimentary records have been increasingly discovered. Studies of magmatic arc and forearc basin combined with subdction complex will be essential to the reconstruction of the convergent continental margin in South China. Analyses of magmatic arc identification from South to East China Seas, arc to forearc relationship, and assembly between arc and regional faults will become necessary to improve the knowledge of the model of East Asia convergent continental margin, and as well help to develop the understanding of Late Mesozoic forearc basin and resource potentials in the southeast sea areas.