Early Carboniferous paleomagnetic results from the northeastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau and their implications

• A paleomagnetic work was carried out in the Carboniferous strata in Qaidam Basin.
• The characteristic remanent magnetization passed fold test.
• Our results indicated a paleolatitude of 13.5°N for the Qaidam block.
• The Qaidam block was independent from North China, South China and Tarim Block.

We conducted paleomagnetic investigations on limestone from the Lower Carboniferous Huaitoutala Formation in the Qaidam Basin near Delingha City, Qinghai Province, China. The characteristic remanent magnetization (D = 5.8°, I = − 25.7°, k = 114.3, α95 = 4.8°) passes a fold test and indicates a paleopole position of − 39.2°N, 90.4°E and a paleolatitude of 13.5°N for the Qaidam Block for the early Carboniferous. Based on global tectonic reconstructions and paleontological evidence, we suggest that the Qaidam Block was adjacent to, but independent from, the North China, South China, Alashan–Hexi and Tarim blocks at this time. This result suggests that Pre-Carboniferous sutures reported around the Qaidam Basin represent collisional events within Gondwana, rather than the final sutures that gave rise to the present tectonic configuration.

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