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The absolute paleoposition of the North China Block during the Middle Ordovician

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Abstract

Present-day hot spots and Phanerozoic large igneous provinces (LIPs) and kimberlites mainly occur at the edges of the projections of Large Low Shear Wave Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs) on the earth’s surface. If a plate contains accurately dated LIPs or kimberlites, it is possible to obtain the absolute paleoposition of the plate from the LIP/kimberlite and paleomagnetic data. The presence of Middle Ordovician kimberlites in the North China Block provides an opportunity to determine the absolute paleoposition of the block during the Middle Ordovician. In addition to paleobiogeographical information and the results of previous work on global plate reconstruction for the Ordovician Period, we selected published paleomagnetic data for the North China Block during the Middle Ordovician and determined the most reasonable absolute paleoposition of the North China Block during the Middle Ordovician: paleolatitude of approximately 16.6°S to 19.1°S and paleolongitude of approximately 10°W. The block was located between the Siberian Plate and Gondwana, close to the Siberian Plate. During the Cambrian and Ordovician periods, the North China Block may have moved toward the Siberian Plate and away from the Australian Plate.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Ministry of Education, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    HongHao Wang, JiangHai Li, HuaTian Zhang, Li Xu & WeiBo Li

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  2. JiangHai Li
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Correspondence to HongHao Wang.

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Wang, H., Li, J., Zhang, H. et al. The absolute paleoposition of the North China Block during the Middle Ordovician. Sci. China Earth Sci. 59, 573–582 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-015-5210-7

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