Apparent polar wander paths of the major Chinese blocks since the Late Paleozoic: Toward restoring the amalgamation history of east Eurasia

Using a recent global reconstruction model and up-to-date geological observations, new models of the Chinese APWPs allowed us to re-evaluate the coalescence history of East Eurasia since the Late Paleozoic Era. Four major tectonic events were confirmed: (1) the TB accreted with the Kazakhstan orocline during amalgamation of the West Altaids during the Middle-Late Permian Period (ca. 265-250 Ma); (2) the suturing of the NCB and the SCB likely occurred in a scissor-like pattern and had been accomplished no later than the Middle Jurassic Period (ca. 180-160 Ma); (3) the amalgamation between the NCB and the TB along with the microblocks between the two might have been achieved during the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Periods (ca. 160-140 Ma); (4) the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean should have been closed no later than the Early Cretaceous Period (ca. 140-120 Ma).