Mesozoic sedimentary evolution of the northwest Sichuan basin: Implication for continued clockwise rotation of the South China block

Research Article| March 01, 2005 Mesozoic sedimentary evolution of the northwest Sichuan basin: Implication for continued clockwise rotation of the South China block Qing-Ren Meng; Qing-Ren Meng 1Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9825, Beijing 100029, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Erchie Wang; Erchie Wang 1Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9825, Beijing 100029, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jian-Min Hu Jian-Min Hu 2Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geosciences, Beijing 100081, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Qing-Ren Meng 1Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9825, Beijing 100029, China Erchie Wang 1Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9825, Beijing 100029, China Jian-Min Hu 2Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geosciences, Beijing 100081, China Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 29 May 2003 Revision Received: 04 May 2004 Accepted: 21 Jun 2004 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2005) 117 (3-4): 396–410. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25407.1 Article history Received: 29 May 2003 Revision Received: 04 May 2004 Accepted: 21 Jun 2004 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Qing-Ren Meng, Erchie Wang, Jian-Min Hu; Mesozoic sedimentary evolution of the northwest Sichuan basin: Implication for continued clockwise rotation of the South China block. GSA Bulletin 2005;; 117 (3-4): 396–410. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B25407.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract We present new sedimentary data integrated into a regional Mesozoic stratigraphic framework to provide a detailed picture of spatio-temporal variations in deposition and depocenter migration of the northwest Sichuan basin. The Mesozoic sedimentary evolution is utilized to interpret basin subsidence history and to unravel coeval basin-margin tectonics. The northwest Sichuan basin, together with the Songpan-Ganzi terrane, behaved as a passive margin south of the Qinling Paleo-Tethys from late Paleozoic to early Middle Triassic times and then evolved into a peripheral foreland basin in response to collision of the North and South China blocks since the late Middle Triassic. Coeval with strong north-south contraction of the Songpan-Ganzi terrane in the Late Triassic, sinistral transpressional deformation of the Longmen Shan belt led to flexural subsidence of the adjacent western Sichuan basin. Renewed basin-margin fold-thrust activity triggered recurrence of flexural subsidence of the northwest Sichuan basin since the Middle Jurassic, with the depocenter eventually shifting to the northwestern corner of the basin in the Early Cretaceous. Sedimentary evolution of the northwest Sichuan basin and the basin-margin deformation imply that the South China block had been rotating clockwise relative to the North China block throughout the Mesozoic with an interim period of Early Jurassic tectonic quiescence. A model is advanced that invokes clockwise rotation of the South China block as a driver for tectonic evolution of both the basin and adjoining structural belts and provides an explanation for several salient features that are otherwise puzzling. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.