Early Mesozoic structural evolution of the eastern West Qinling, northwest China

- Reconstruction of Early Mesozoic structural development of the eastern West Qinling
- The eastern West Qinling experienced two-phase deformations in Early Mesozoic.
- New tectonic model for Early Mesozoic tectonic development of the West Qinling

This paper aims to reconstruct Early Mesozoic structural development of the eastern West Qinling by integrating structural and geochronologic analyses. The results show that the eastern West Qinling experienced two-phase deformations, separated by a period of tectonic quiescence. Large-scale south-directed displacement of thrust sheets in association with folding characterized the first-phase deformation in Late Triassic time, leading to the formation of the West Qinling fold-and-thrust belt that is composed primarily of Paleozoic-Triassic strata. This fold-and-thrust belt is in general south-convexing arc-shaped, with an accumulated south-directed displacement being over 100 km. The folding and thrusting ended up during the Norian of the Late Triassic Epoch and were immediately followed by widespread granite intrusions. Marked uplift and erosion occurred in the Early Jurassic, resulting in exhumation of the Late Triassic granites. Transpressional deformation took place in the eastern West Qinling in the Middle Jurassic on account of occurrences of strike-slip faulting and refolding. In the easternmost part of the West Qinling exists a Permian-Triassic turbidite wedge that is bordered by a right-slip fault on the northeast and by a left-slip fault on the south, indicating a westward movement that was accommodated by slip faulting. It is argued that collision of the North and South China blocks was responsible for formation of the West Qinling fold-and-thrust belt in the Late Triassic, whereas Middle Jurassic transgression is considered as the result of westward extrusion of Permian-Triassic turbiditic materials from the East Qinling owing to renewed intracontinental convergence between the North and South China blocks. A tectonic model is advanced for Early Mesozoic tectonic development of the West Qinling.