Our Earth is a layered planet with a dense iron core, a surficial crust of light rock, and between them, a solid silicate, convecting mantle. Plate tectonics is the surface manifestation of mantle convection. This activity gives rise to seafloor spreading, continental drift, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Specifically, plate tectonics is the theory and study of plate formation, movement, interactions, and destruction, with seafloor spreading ridges, transform faults, and subduction zones as the plate boundaries. Today, many displaced continental blocks have been found in the world, and the original locations of some have yet to be worked out. Nevertheless, the concept of continental drift is now accepted as a necessary consequence of plate tectonics, and the complexity of mountain belts is well recognized as the product of the great mobility of lithospheric plates.
Paleomagnetism, which is the study of the ancient magnetism of the Earth, has played a central role in this...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Achache, J., Courtillot, V., and Zhou, Y.X., 1984. Paleogeographic and tectonic evolution of southern Tibet since middle Cretaceous time: New paleomagnetic data and synthesis. Journal of Geophysical Research‐Solid Earth, 89: 311–339.
Besse, J., and Courtillot, V., 1991. Revised and synthetic apparent polar wander paths of the African, Eurasian, North American and Indian plates, and true polar wander since 200 Ma. Journal of Geophysical Research, 96: 4029–4050.
Besse, J., and Courtillot, V., 2002. Apparent and true polar wander and the geometry of the geomagnetic field in the last 200 Myr. Journal of Geophysical Research, 107: 2300 doi:10.1029/2000JB000050.
Burchfiel, B.C., Chen, Z., Hodges, K.V., Liu, Y., Royden, L.H., et al., 1992. The south Tibetan detachment system, Himalayan orogen: extension contemporaneous with and parallel to shortening in a collisional mountain belt. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 269: 1–41.
Burg, J.P., and Chen, G.M., 1984. Tectonics and structural zonation of southern Tibet, China. Nature, 311: 219–223.
Burrett, C., and Richardson, R., 1980. Trilobite biogeography and Cambrian tectonic models. Tectonophysics, 63: 155–192.
Burrett, C., Long, J., and Stait, B.,1990. Early‐Middle Palaeozoic biogeography of Asian terranes derived from Gondwana. In Mckerrow, W.S. and Scotese, C.R. (eds.), Palaeozoic Palaeogeography and Biogeography, Geological Society Memoir, Bath, England. 12: 163–174.
Chen, Y., Cogné, J.P., Courtillot, V., Avouac, J.P., Tapponnier, P., Buffetaut, E., Wang, G., Bai, M., You, H., Li, M., and Wei, C., 1991. Paleomagnetic study of Mesozoic continental sediments along the northern Tien Shan (China) and heterogeneous strain in central Asia. Journal of Geophysical Research, 96: 4065–4082.
Chen, Y., Cogne, J.P., Courtillot, V., Tapponnier, P., and Zhu, X.Y. 1993. Cretaceous paleomagnetic results from western Tibet and tectonic implications. Journal of Geophysical Research, 98(B10): 17981–17999.
Chen, Y., Gilder, S., Halim, N., Cogné, J.‐P., and Courtillot, V. 2002. New Mezosoic and Cenozoic paleomagnetic data help constrain the age of motion on the Altyn Tagh fault and rotation of the Qaidam basin. Tectonics, 21(5): 1042, doi:10.1029/2001TC901030, 2002.
Davis, A.M., Aitchison, J.C., Zhu, B.D., and Huo, L., 2002. Paleogene Island arc collision related conglomerates, Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone, Tibet. Sedimentary Geology, 150: 247–273.
Dewey, J.F., Shackleton, R.M., Chang, C.F., and Sun, Y.Y., 1988. The tectonic evolution of the Tibetan plateau, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series A, Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, 327: 379–413.
Dewey, J.F., Shackleton, R.M., Chang, C.F., and Sun, Y.Y., 1990. The tectonic evolution of the Tibetan plateau. In Sino‐British Comprehensive Geological Expedition Team of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (ed.), The Geological Evolution of the Qinghai‐Tibet Beijing: Science Press, (in Chinese). pp. 384–415.
Dupont‐Nivet, G., Butler, R.F., Yin, A., and Chen, X., 2002. Paleomagnetism indicates no Neogene rotation of the Qaidam basin in north Tibet during Indo‐Asian collision. Geology, 30(3): 263–266.
Dupont‐Nivet, G., Butler, R.F., Yin, A., and Chen, X., 2003. Paleomagnetism indicates no Neogene rotation of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(B8): 2386, doi:10.1029/2003JB002399, 2003.
Enkin, R.J., Yang, Z., Chen, Y., and Courtillot, V., 1992. Paleomagnetic constraints on the geodynamic history of the major blocks of China from the Permian to the Present. Journal of Geophysical Research, 97: 13953–13984.
Gilder, S., Chen, Y., and Sen, S., 2001. Oligo‐Miocene magnetostratigraphy and environmental magnetism of the Xishuigou section, Subei (Gansu Province, western China): Further implication on the shallow inclination of central Asia. Journal of Geophysical Research‐Solid Earth, 106: 30505–30521.
Gilder, S., Chen, Y., Cogne, J.P., Tan, X.D., Courtillot, V., Sun, D.J., and Li, Y.G., 2003. Paleomagnetism of Upper Jurrassic to Lower Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks from the western Tarim Basin and implications for inclination shallowing and absolute dating of the M‐0 (ISEA?) chron. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 206: 587–600.
Halim, N., Chen, Y., and Cogné, J.P., 2003. A first palaeomagnetic study of Jurassic formations from the Qaidam basin, northeastern Tibet, China‐tectonic implications. Geophysical Journal International, 153: 20–26.
Harrison, T.W., Copeland, P., Kidd, W.S.F., and Yi, A., 1992. Raising Tibet. Science 255: 1663–1670.
Hsu, K.J., Sun, S., Chen, H.H., Pen, H.B., and Sengor, AM.C., 1988. Mesozoic overthrust tectonics in south China. Geology, 16: 418–421.
Hu, A.Q., and Rogers, G., 1992. Discovery of 3.3 Ga Archean rocks in north Tarim block of Xinjiang, western China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 37: 1546–1549.
Huang, K., and Opdyke, N., 1995. A positive conglomerate test for the characteristic remanent magnetization of the Emeishan basalt from Southwest China. Geophysical Research Letters, 22: 2769–2772.
Huang, K.N., Opdyke, N.D., Li, J., and Peng, X., 1992. Paleomagnetism of Cretaceous from eastern Qiangtang terrane of Tibet. Journal of Geophysical Research, 97: 1789–1800.
Irving, E., 1964. Paleomagnetism and its Application to Geological and Geophysical Problems, New York: Wiley, 399 pp.
Klimetz, M.P., 1983. Speculations on the Mesozoic plate tectonic evolution of eastern China. Tectonics, 2: 139–166.
Laveine, J.P., Zhang, S., and Lemoigne, Y., 1989. Global paleobotany, as exemplied by some Upper Carboniferous Pteridosperms. Bulletin Societe Belge Geologique, 98: 115–125.
Li, Y.P., Zhang, Z., McWilliams, M., Nur, A., Li, Y., Li, Q., and Cox, A., 1988. Mesozoic paleomagnetic results of the Tarim Cration: Tertiary relative motion between China and Siberia. Geophysical Research Letters, 15: 217–220.
Li, J.L., and Cong, B.L., 1980. A preliminary study on the early stage evolution of the Earth's crust in the North China fault block region. In: Formation and Development on the North China Fault Block Region, Beijing, China: Publishing House of Academic, pp. 23–25.
Li, Z.X., Zhang, L., and Powell, C.McA., 1995. South China in Rodinia: part of the missing link beween Australia‐East Antarctica and Laurentia? Geology, 23: 407–410.
Li, Z.X.,1998. Tectonic history of the major east Asian lithospheric blocks since the mid Proterozoic—A synthesis. In Martin, F.J., Chung, S.‐L., Lo, C.‐J., and Lee, T.‐Y. (eds.), Mantle Dynamics and plate interactions in East Asia, AGU Geodynamics Series 27: Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union, pp. 221–243.
Li, Z.X., and Powell, C. McA., 2001. An outline of the palaeogeographic evolution of the Australasian region since the beginning of the Neoproterozoic. Earth Science Reviews, 53: 237–277.
Lin, J.L., Fuller, M., and Zhang, W.Y., 1985. Preliminary Phanerozoic polar wander paths for the North and South China blocks. Nature, 313: 444–449.
Lin, J., and Watts, D.R., 1988. Palaeomagnetic constraints on Himalayan‐Tibetan tectonic evolution. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, 326: 177–188.
Long, J., and Burrett, C., 1989. Fish from the Upper Devonian of the Shan‐Thai terrance indicate proximity to east Gondwana and south China terranes. Geology, 17: 811–813.
Mattauer, M., Matte, P., Maluski, H., Qin, Z.Q., Zhang, Q.W., and Yong, Y.M., 1991. Paleozoic and Triassic plate boundary between North and South China, New structural and radiometric data on the Dabie‐Shan (eastern China). Comptes Rendus de l’ Academie des Sciences—Series II, 312: 1227–1233.
McElhinny, M.W., Embleton, B.J., Ma, X.H., and Zhang, Z.K., 1981. Fragmentation of Asia in the Permian. Nature, 293: 212–215.
McElhinny, M.W., and McFadden, P.L., 2000. Paleomagnetism: Continents and Oceans International Geophysics Series 73, San Diego: Academic Press, 386 pp.
McKerrow, W.S., and Scotese, C.R., (eds.), 1990. Palaezoic paleogeography and biogeography. Geology Society London Memoir 12: 435 pp.
Merrill, R.T., McElhinny, M.W., and McFadden, P.L., 1996. The Magnetic Field of the Earth: Paleomagnetism, the Core, and the Deep Mantle. San Diego: Academic Press, 541 pp.
Metcalfe, I., (ed.), 1999. Gondwana Dispersion and Asian Accretion, Final Results Volume for IGCP Project 321. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema, VIII + 361 pp. ISBN 90 5410 446 5.
Murphy, M.A., Yin, A., Harrison, T.M., Durr, S.B., Chen, Z., Ryerson, F.J., Kidd, W.S.F., Wang, X., and Zhou, X., 1997. Did the Indo‐Asian collision alone create the Tibetan plateau? Geology, 25: 719–722.
Opdyke, N.D., Huang, K., Xu, G., Zhang, W.Y., and Kent, D.V., 1986. Paleomagnetic results from the Triassic of the Yangtze platform. Journal of Geophysical Research, 91: 9553–9568.
Otofuji, Y., Funahara, S., Matsuo, J., Murata, F., Nishiyama, T., Zheng, X.L., and Yaskawa, K., 1989. Paleomagnetic study of western Tibet: Deformation of a narrow zone along the Indus Zangbo suture between India and Asia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 92: 307–316.
Otofuji, Y., Matsuda, T., Itaya, T., Shibata, T., Matsumoto, M., Yamamoto, T., Morimoto, C., Kulinich, R.G., Zimin, P.S., Matunin, A.P., Sakhno, V.G., and Kimura, K., 1995. Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene paleomagnetic results from Sikhote‐Alin, far eastern Russia: implications for deformation of East Asia. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 130: 95–108.
Otofuji, Y, Itaya, T., Wang, H., and Nohda, S., 1995. Paleomagnetism and K‐Ar Dating of Pleistocene Volcanic‐Rocks along the Altyn‐Tagh Fault, Northern Border of Tibet. Geophysical Journal International, 120(2): 367–374.
Ren, J.S., Jiang, C.F., Zhang, Z.K., and Qin, D.Y., 1987. The Geotectonic Evolution of China. Springer‐Verlag, Science Press.
Rumelhart, P.E., Yin, A., Cowgill, E., Bulter, R., Zhang, Q., and Wang, X., 1999. Cenozoic vertical‐axis rotation of the Altyn Tagh fault system. Geology, 27: 819–822.
Runnegar, B., and Cambell, K.S.W., 1976. Late Palaeozoic faunas of Australia. Earth Science Reviews, 12: 235–257.
Shu, D., and Chen, L., 1991. Paleobiogeography of Bradoriida and break‐up of Gondwana. In Ren, J., and Xie, G. (eds.), Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Gondwana Dispersion and Asia Accretion. 314 pp., China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China, pp. 16–21.
Tapponier, P., Xu, Z.Q., Roger, F., Meyer, B., Arnaud, N.O., Wittlinger, G., and Yang, J.S., 2001. Oblique stepwise rise and growth of the Tibet Plateau. Science, 294: 1671–1677.
Tauxe, L., 1998. Paleomagnetic Principles and Practices. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic, 299 pp.
Tauxe, L., 2005. Inclination flattening and the geocentric axial dipole hypothesis. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 233: 247–261.
Van der Voo, R., 1993. Paleomagnetism of the Atlantic, Tethys and Iapetus Oceans. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 411 pp.
Wang, X.F., Xu, T., and Wei, C.S., 1999. Geodynamic and tectonic evolution of China and related Gondwana crustal fragments: Preface. Gondwana Research, 2(4): 509–509.
Wang, S., 1993. The relationship between Ar and Cl in cherts and vein quartz and its significance on geochronology. Acta Petrologica Sinica, 9: 319–328 (in Chinese).
White, M.C., 1995. Finding documents split of Indo‐Australian plate. EOS, 76: 337–343.
Xiao, W.J., Windley, B.F., Hao, J., and Li, J.L., 2002. Arc‐ophiolite obduction in the Western Kunlun Range (China): implications for the Palaeozoic evolution of central Asia. Journal of the Geological Society, 159: 517–528.
Yang, Z., and Besse, J., 2001. New Mesozoic apparent polar wandering path for south China: Tectonic consequences.. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106: 8493–8520.
Yang, Z.Y., Cheng, Y.Q., and H.Z., Wang 1986. The Geology of China. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Yin, A., and Harrison, T.M., 2000. Geologic Evolution of the Himalayan‐Tibetan Orogen. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Science, 28: 211–280.
Yin, H.F., (ed.) 1988. Paleobiogeography of China. Beijing: Chinese University of Earth Sciences Press, 329 pp. (in Chinese).
Zhao, X., and Coe, R.S., 1987. Palaeomagnetic constraints on the collision and rotation of North and South China. Nature, 327: 141–144.
Zhao, X., and Coe, R.,1989. Tectonic Implications of Permo‐Triassic Paleomagnetic Results From North and South China. In Hillhouse, J.W. (ed.), Deep Structure and Past Kinematics of Accreted Terranes, Geophysical Monograph/International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, 5: 267–283.
Zhao, X., Coe, R.S., Zhou, Y.X., Wu, H.R., and Wang, J., 1990. New paleomagnetic results from northern China: collision and suturing with Siberia and Kazakhstan. Tectonophysics, 181: 43–81.
Zhao, X., Coe, R.S., Gilder, S., and Frost, G., 1996. Palaeomagnetic constraints on palaeogeography of China: Implications for Gondwanaland, In Breakup of Rodinia and Gonwanaland and Assembly of Asia. Special Issue of the Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 43: 643–672.
Zhao, X., Coe, R.S., Chang, K.H., Park, S.O., Omarzai, S.K., Zhu, R.X., Gilder, S., and Zheng, Z., 1999. Clockwise rotations recorded in cretaceous rocks of South Korea: Implications for tectonic affinity between Korea Peninsula and North China. Geophysical Journal International, 139: 447–463.
Zheng, Z., Kono, M., Tsunakawa, H., Kimura, G., Wei, Q.Y., Zhu, X.Y., and Hao, T., 1991. The apparent polar wander path for North China Block since the Jurassic. Geophysical Journal International, 104: 29–40.
Zhu, R.X., and Tschu, K.K., 2001. Studies on Paleomagnetism and Reversals of Geomagnetic Field in China. Beijing: Science Press, 168 pp.
Zhu, X.Y., Liu, C., Ye, S.J., and Lin, J.L., 1977. Remanence of red beds from Linzhou, Xizang and the northward movement of the Indian plate (in Chinese with English abstract). Scientia Geologica Sinica, 1: 44–51.
Ziegler, A.M., Rees, P.M., Rowley, D.B., Bekker, A., Li, Q., and Hulver, M.L., 1996. Mesozoic assembly of Asia: constraints from fossil floras, tectonics, and paleomagnetism, In An Yin and Harrison, M. (eds.), The Tectonic Evolution of Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 371–400.
Ziegler, A.M.,1990. Phytogeographic paterns and continental configurations during the Permian period. In McKerrow, W.S., and Scotese, C.R. (eds.), Palaeozoic Palaeogeography and Biogeography. Geological Society of London Memoir 12, pp. 363–379.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer-Verlag
About this entry
Cite this entry
Zhao, X., Coe, R.S. (2007). PLATE TECTONICS, CHINA. In: Gubbins, D., Herrero-Bervera, E. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4423-6_263
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4423-6_263
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-3992-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4423-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences