Possible southwestward extrusion of the Ordos Block in the Late Paleoproterozoic: Constraints from kinematic and geochronologic analysis of peripheral ductile shear zones

• Three shear zones exist on the northern, northwestern, and eastern edges of the Ordos block.
• The ductile shear zones were active synchronously in the late Paleoproterozoic.
• The Ordos block might have extruded to the southwest accompanied by the shear zones.

The Paleoproterozoic is a pivotal period of the tectonic evolution of the North China Craton (NCC). Various models have been postulated by previous researchers through the study of petrology and metamorphism, but the lack of structural analyses has hampered further understanding of the tectonic evolution of the NCC. A series of well-exposed ductile shear zones developed on the northern, northwestern and eastern edges of the Ordos Block in the western part of the NCC. We carried out detailed field studies along with isotopic dating focused on the kinematics and geochronology of the ductile shear zones. On the north margin of the Ordos block, the Wulashan-Daqingshan ductile shear zone is characterized by an E-W trending shearing foliation that steeply dips 75–80° to the north or south, with subhorizontal stretching lineation plunging 10–15° toward the east or west and dextral strike-slip shearing kinematics. On the west margin of the Ordos block is the Zongbieli ductile shear zone with top-to-the-NW thrusting kinematics. On the east margin of the Ordos block is the Xueling ductile shear zone with top-to-the-SE thrusting accompanied by sinistral strike-slip shearing kinematics.The 40Ar–39Ar ages of deformed minerals from mylonitic high-grade metamorphic rocks and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating results of zircons from syn-tectonic anatectic granites reflect that the ductile shear zones surrounding the Ordos block deformed between 1.85 and 1.81 Ga. The similar deformation ages indicate that the ductile shear zones might be genetically correlated. The geometry, kinematics and geochronology characteristics of the Wulashan-Daqingshan ductile shear zone on the north margin, the Zongbieli ductile shear zone on the west margin, and the Xueling ductile shear zone combined with the Zhujiafang sinistral ductile shear zone on the east margin defined the possible southwestward extrusion of the Ordos block in the late Paleoproterozoic, which might have resulted from the westward subduction-collision of the Eastern Block under the Western Block at approximately 1.85 Ga and which is correlated with the amalgamation of the Columbia supercontinent.