Early aged ophiolites in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and their tectonic implications

The Precambrian ophiolites, the oldest ophiolites, have attracted the studies from many geologists in recent decades (Li et al. 1997, 2001; Scarrow et al. 2001, Colombo et al. 2001), because the Pre-Cambrian ophiolites are relevant to the evolution of plate tectonics in the early period of the earth. This paper reveals two definite Pre-Cambrian ophiolites, named “Aoyougou Ophiolite”, in the northeast and “Kudi Ophiolite” in the northwest of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau; the former lies near the intersection of 39°5’ North latitude and 98°15’ East longitude, the latter lies at the intersection of 77°10’ East longitude and 36°45’ North latitude.