The Tarim Craton (NW China) is a significant archive of the tectonic events that occurred during the assembly and break-up of the Precambrian supercontinents Columbia and Rodinia. It provides a comprehensive record of crustal development during the Proterozoic. We review and synthesize the magmatic, metamorphic and stratigraphic records of the Precambrian Tarim Craton and delineate the geochronology of significant geological events that led to the formation of this major cratonic block. The extant geophysical and geological data show that the Tarim Craton consists mainly of the South and North Tarim blocks. The record of late Paleoproterozoic tectonothermal events is displayed well in and across the craton, involving the amalgamation of these two blocks to form its unified crystalline basement during the build-up of Columbia. However, the record of mid-Neoproterozoic events during the assembly of Rodinia is only exposed around its periphery. The Proterozoic record of the craton includes Mesoproterozoic–early Neoproterozoic low-grade metamorphic rock units and a late Neoproterozoic sedimentary cover. The early Mesoproterozoic stratigraphy in the SW, NE and SE of the Tarim Basin suggests a period of tectonic stability following the amalgamation of the North and South Tarim blocks in the late Paleoproterozoic, indicating the completion of its cratonic build-up.
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Review Article|
July 17, 2024
Precambrian geological history of the Tarim Craton (NW China) involving the assembly and fragmentation of the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents: review and synthesis
Duwei Qiu;
Duwei Qiu
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Yildirim Dilek;
Yildirim Dilek
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
3
Department of Geology & Environmental Earth Science, Miami University
, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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Hongxiang Wu;
Hongxiang Wu
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Shaoying Huang;
Shaoying Huang
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
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Dahai Sun;
Dahai Sun
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
6
Zhejiang Institute of Geosciences
, Hangzhou 310007, China
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Caiming Luo;
Caiming Luo
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
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Yunjiang Duan;
Yunjiang Duan
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
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Wenfang Yuan;
Wenfang Yuan
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
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Hanlin Chen;
Hanlin Chen
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Fengqi Zhang
Fengqi Zhang
*
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
*
Correspondence: [email protected]
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Duwei Qiu
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
Yildirim Dilek
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
3
Department of Geology & Environmental Earth Science, Miami University
, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
Hongxiang Wu
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
Shaoying Huang
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
Dahai Sun
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
6
Zhejiang Institute of Geosciences
, Hangzhou 310007, China
Caiming Luo
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
Yunjiang Duan
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
Wenfang Yuan
4
Exploration and Development Center of Ultra-Deep Complex Oil and Gas Reservoirs, China National Petroleum Corporation
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
5
Key Laboratory of Gas Reservoir Formation and Development, CNPC
, Korla, Xinjiang 841000, China
Hanlin Chen
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
Fengqi Zhang
*
1
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University
, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Structural Research Center of Oil & Gas Bearing Basin of Ministry of Education
, Hangzhou 310058, China
*
Correspondence: [email protected]
Publisher: Geological Society of London
Received:
27 Jan 2024
Revision Received:
27 Apr 2024
Accepted:
29 Apr 2024
First Online:
14 May 2024
Online ISSN: 2041-479X
Print ISSN: 0016-7649
- Funder(s):National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Award Id(s): 42372244; 42077223
- Award Id(s):
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by The Geological Society of London. All rights reserved
© 2024 The Author(s)
Journal of the Geological Society (2024) 181 (5): jgs2024-015.
Article history
Received:
27 Jan 2024
Revision Received:
27 Apr 2024
Accepted:
29 Apr 2024
First Online:
14 May 2024
Citation
Duwei Qiu, Yildirim Dilek, Hongxiang Wu, Shaoying Huang, Dahai Sun, Caiming Luo, Yunjiang Duan, Wenfang Yuan, Hanlin Chen, Fengqi Zhang; Precambrian geological history of the Tarim Craton (NW China) involving the assembly and fragmentation of the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents: review and synthesis. Journal of the Geological Society 2024;; 181 (5): jgs2024–015. doi: https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2024-015
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Index Terms/Descriptors
- Asia
- basement
- China
- chronostratigraphy
- Columbia Supercontinent
- contraction
- crust
- deformation
- Far East
- magmatism
- metamorphism
- Neoproterozoic
- plate tectonics
- Precambrian
- Proterozoic
- Rodinia
- supercontinents
- Tarim Platform
- tectonics
- upper Precambrian
- Tuoge Complex
- Heluositan Complex
- Dunhuang Complex
- Aketashtag Complex
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