History of Neoproterozoic rift basins in South China: implications for Rodinia break-up

Abstract We present here a first-order analysis of the Neoproterozoic continental rift basins in South China, focusing on the north-south trending Kangdian basin in the western part, and the Yangtze-side of the northeasterly-trending Nanhua basin. The Yangtze-side of the Nanhua basin is subdivided into the Hunan-Guangxi, the Jiangnan Ridge, and the northern Zhejiang sub-basins. The Neoproterozoic successions in these basins consist of four major sequence-sets, representing four phases of rifting. The first phase occurred at ca. 820 Ma after the 830–820 Ma bimodal magmatism and rapid crustal unroofing, and is represented by the Shiqiaopu Formation in the Hunan-Guangxi sub-basin and the Luojiamen Formation in the northern Zhejiang sub-basin. The second phase at ca. 800 Ma is represented by the Hongchicun Formation in the northern Zhejiang sub-basin. The third, a major rift phase, occurred at ca. 780–750 Ma, represented by the Sanmenjie Formation in the Hunan-Guangxi sub-basin, the Luokedong and Jingtan formations in the Jiangnan Ridge sub-basin, and the Shangshu Formation in the northern Zhejiang sub-basin. The final phase recorded the rift–drift transition during the Nantuo glaciation, estimated at ca. 750–690 Ma, with no volcanism. This was followed by a sag phase to the remainder of the Neoproterozoic, which saw the entire Yangtze Block covered with either platform carbonate deposits or basinal carbonaceous and cherty deposits. The basin history in South China prior to ca. 600 Ma can be well correlated with that in the Adelaide rift system in southeastern Australia, suggesting that South China could have been adjacent to eastern Australia in the supercontinent Rodinia, but broke away from Australia by the end of the continental rifting at ca. 750–690 Ma.

[1]  Xian‐Hua Li,et al.  The breakup of Rodinia: did it start with a mantle plume beneath South China? , 1999 .

[2]  M. Walter,et al.  Dating the 840–544 Ma Neoproterozoic interval by isotopes of strontium, carbon, and sulfur in seawater, and some interpretative models , 2000 .

[3]  R. Korsch,et al.  Characterisation of a plume-related ̃ 800 Ma magmatic event and its implications for basin formation in central-southern Australia , 1994 .

[4]  Zheng‐Xiang Li,et al.  Mafic intrusions in Longsheng area: age and its geological implications , 2001 .

[5]  B. Krapež,et al.  South Australian record of a Rodinian epicontinental basin and its mid-neoproterozoic breakup (∼700 Ma) to form the Palaeo-Pacific Ocean , 1994 .

[6]  B. Krapež.  Sequence‐stratigraphic concepts applied to the identification of depositional basins and global tectonic cycles , 1997 .

[7]  P. Schmidt,et al.  The Neoproterozoic climatic paradox: Equatorial palaeolatitude for Marinoan glaciation near sea level in South Australia , 1995 .

[8]  W. Preiss.  The Adelaide Geosyncline of South Australia and its significance in Neoproterozoic continental reconstruction , 2000 .

[9]  M. Wingate,et al.  Ion microprobe U–Pb ages for Neoproterozoic basaltic magmatism in south-central Australia and implications for the breakup of Rodinia , 1998 .

[10]  W. Ling.  Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the northwestern Yangtze craton, South China: implications for amalgamation and break-up of the Rodinia Supercontinent , 2003 .

[11]  Zheng‐Xiang Li.  New palaeomagnetic results from the ‘cap dolomite’ of the Neoproterozoic Walsh Tillite, northwestern Australia , 2000 .

[12]  C. Powell,et al.  South China in Rodinia: Part of the missing link between Australia–East Antarctica and Laurentia? , 1995 .

[13]  Zheng‐Xiang Li.  Geochronology of Neoproterozoic syn-rift magmatism in the Yangtze Craton, South China and correlations with other continents: evidence for a mantle superplume that broke up Rodinia , 2003 .

[14]  C. Powell,et al.  Positions of the East Asian cratons in the Neoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia , 1996 .

[15]  Y. Liu,et al.  U-Pb zircon geochronology, geochemistry and Nd isotopic study of Neoproterozoic bimodal volcanic rocks in the Kangdian Rift of South China : Implications for the initial rifting of Rodinia , 2002 .

[16]  A. Chen.  MIRROR-IMAGE THRUSTING IN THE SOUTH CHINA OROGENIC BELT : TECTONIC EVIDENCE FROM WESTERN FUJIAN, SOUTHEASTERN CHINA , 1999 .

[17]  Jian Wang.  Sequence Stratigraphy and Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Marginal Basins Along Southeastern Yangtze Craton, South China , 2001 .

[18]  Xian‐Hua Li,et al.  Grenvillian continental collision in South China: new SHRIMP U-Pb zircon results and implications for the configuration of Rodinia , 2002 .

[19]  Xian‐Hua Li.  U-Pb zircon ages of granites from the southern margin of the Yangtze Block : timing of Neoproterozoic Jinning : Orogeny in SE China and implications for Rodinia Assembly , 1999 .

[20]  G. Eisbacher.  Late Proterozoic rifting, glacial sedimentation, and sedimentary cycles in the light of Windermere deposition, Western Canada , 1985 .