Global Meso-Neoproterozoic plate reconstruction and formation mechanism for Precambrian basins: Constraints from three cratons in China

Abstract The Meso-Neoproterozoic period, sometimes referred to as the ‘boring billion’ or ‘Earth's middle age’, spans the interval between the formation of the Columbia and Rodina supercontinents. It is regarded as a stable era of the Earth. However, from a global perspective, there are many intensive events of mafic volcanism, dyke intrusions and formation of rift basins recorded in different cratons during this period. This paper focuses on rift basins that developed in three cratons in China (North China, South China and Tarim cratons), because large-scale primary gasfields, as one of the deep resources, have been discovered recently in rocks of Meso-Neoproterozoic age. The formation mechanisms and tectonic settings of these rift basins as the targets of Deep Earth are discussed, based on the restoration of global positions of the three cratons by pre-existing paleomagnetic data and plate reconstruction. We recognise that the rift basins of the North China Craton are related to extrusion tectonics in the southwest Ordos Block or are pull-apart basins along the northern and southern sides of the Ordos Block. The rift basins of the South China Craton are derived from mantle lithospheric delamination of the Jiangnan Orogen in the eastern South China Craton or subduction retreat and backarc opening in the western South China Craton, respectively. The rift basins of the Tarim Craton originated from the backarc opening along the margin of the Supercontinent Rodinia.