Skip to main content
Log in

Post-collisional extensional and thrust-nappe structures in northern part of Dabie Mountains

  • Reports
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Thrust-nappe structures and extensional structures simultaneously occur in the northern part of the Dabie Mountains. The systematic structural study reveals that extensional structures along the Mozitan-Xiaotian fault and thrust-nappe structures that take the Jinzhai-Shucheng fault as their frontal thrust share the same shear sense, and display a transitional relationship from the ductile extensional structure of deep level in the south to the ductile-brittle and brittle thrust-nappe structure of shallow level in the north. The extensional and thrust-nappe structures in the region are explained to result from post-collisional processes by the continuous subduction of the Yangtze continental block and the extension induced by the uplifting of the core part of the Dabie Mountains, which are components of the extensional structures produced in the exhumation process of the ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks in the Dabie Mountains. Because of the frontal blocking in the process of the north-westward spreading, the extension and detachment of the low-grade metamorphic rocks along the Mozitan-Xiaotian fault was transformed into the northwestward thrusting, resulting in the thrust-nappe structures. They developed in the period of 200–170 Ma, maybe last till the late Jurassic.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Xu, S. T., Jiang, L. L., Liu, Y. C. et al., Tectonic framework and evolution of the Dabie Mountains in Anhui, eastern China, Act Geological Silica, 1992, 5(3): 221–238.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Xu, S. T., Liu, Y. C., Kiang, L. L. et al., Tectonic Regime and Evolution of Dabie Mountains (in Chinese), Beijing: Science Press, 1994, 89–103.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Liu, W. C., Wang, G. S., Mesozoic thrust and nappe tectonics in northern Huaiyang region. Geoscience (in Chinese), 1999, 13(2): 143–148.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wang, Y., The tectonic framework in the northern Piedmont area of the Dabie Mountains, Regional Geology of China (in Chinese), 1994, 2: 141–147.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Guo, H., Wu, Z. W., Chai, Y. C. et al., Mesozoic overthrust-nappe tectonic system in the Dabieshan orogenic belt, Geoscience (in Chinese), 2002, 16(2): 121–129.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hacker, B. R., Ratschibacher, L., Webb, L. et al., Exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure continental crust in east central China: Late Triassic-Early Jurassic tectonic unroofing. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2000, 105(6): 13339–133641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Faure, M., Lin, W., Shu, L. et al., Tectonics of the Dabieshan (eastern China) and possible exhumation mechanism of ultra highpressure rocks, Terra Nova, 1999, 11(6): 251–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Lin, W., Wang, Q. C., Faure, M. et al., Different deformation stages of the Dabieshan Mountains and UHP rocks exhumation mechanism, Acta Geologica Sinica (in Chinese), 2003, 77(1): 44–54.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Anhui Province, Regional Geology of Anhui Province (in Chinese), Beijing: 1987 471–548.

  10. Ratschibacher, L., Hacker, B. R., Webb, L., Exhumation of the ultrahigh-pressure continental crust East-Central China: Cretaceous and Cenozoic unroofing and the Tan-Lu fault, Journal of Geophysical Research, 105(6): 13303–13338.

  11. Suo, S. T., Zhong, Z. Q., You, Z. D., Extensional deformation of post ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism and exhumation process of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks in the Dabie Massif, China, Science in China, Ser. D, 2000, 43(3): 225–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Suo, S. T., Zhong, Z. Q., You, Z. D., Extensional tectonic framework of the Dabie-Sulu UHP-HP metamorphic belt, central China, and its geodynamical significance, Acta Geologica Sinica (in Chinese), 2001, 75(1): 14–23.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Zhong, Z. Q., Suo, S. T., You, Z. D., Extensional tectonic framework of post high and ultrahigh pressure metamorphism in Dabieshan China, Journal of China University of Geoscience, 1998, 9(1): 1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Song, M. S., Jiang, L. L., Li, X. T. et al., Tectonic control of the Dabieshan orogenic belt over the Hefei Basin, Petroleum Geology and Experiment (in Chinese), 2002, 24(3): 209–215.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Liu, X. H., Hao, J., Structure and tectonic evolution of the Tongbai-Dabie in the east Qinling collisional belt, China, Tectonics, 1989, 8: 637–645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Li, Y. J., Hu, S. L., Jin, F. Q. et al., The genetic type of Yangshan Upper Paleozoic Basin and its relation with the Tongbai-Dabie orogenic belt, Scientia Geologica Sinica (in Chinese), 1997, 32(1): 19–25.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Zhou, J. B., Zheng, Y. F., Li, L. et al., Accretionary wedge of the subduction of the Yangtze plate, Acta Geologica Sinica (in Chinese), 2001, 75(3): 338–352.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Okay, A. L., Sengor, A. M. C., Tectonics of an ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terrane: The Dabie Shan/Tongbai Shan orogen, China, Tectonics, 1993, 12: 1320–1334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Jiang, L. L., Wu, W. P., Hu, L. J. et al., Tectonic setting of the north Dabie complex in the Dabie Mountains, Geoscience (in Chinese), 2000, 14(1): 29–36.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Zhai, M. G., Cong, B. L., Zhao, Z. Y. et al., Petrological-tectonic units in the coesite-bearing metamorphic terrain of the Dabie Mountains, central China and their geotectonic implications, Journal of Southeast Asian Earth Sciences, 1995, 11(1): 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhang, P., The disintegration of “the Xiaoxihe Formation” and its tectonic environment in the eastern Beihuaiyang, Anhui Geology (in Chinese), 1992, 2(3): 11–19.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ma, W. P., Wang, G. Y., Wang, G. S., Jinning plutonic belt in the Foziling Group and its tectonic implication, Geological review (in Chinese), 2001, 47(5): 476–482.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Chen, F., Siebel, W., Guo, J. et al., Late Proterozoic magmatism and metamorphism recorded in gneisses from the Dabie high-pressure metamorphic zone, eastern China: evidence from zircon U-Pb geochronology, Precambrian Research, 2003, 120(1-2): 131–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gao, L. D., Liu, Z. G., New discovery of microfossils from the Nanwan Formation of the Xinyang Group, Henan, and geological significance, Geological Review (in Chinese), 1988, 34(5): 421–422.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ma, W. P., The Carboniferous at the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains and its tectonic implications, Acta Geologica Sinica (in Chinese), 1991, 65(1): 17–26.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Ma, X. Y., Suo, S. T., Liu, R. Q., Tectonic Deformation of the Songshan Area, Henan Province, China-gravitational Tectonics, Structural Analysis (in Chinese), Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 18–87.

  27. Ma, X. Y., Suo, S. T., On gliding nappes and multi-level detachement structural in the lithosphere, Acta Geologica Sinica (in Chinese), 1984, 3: 205–213.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wang, T., Zheng, Y. D., Mesozoic progressive transition from overthrusting to extension in the Sino-Mongolian border region and crustal-scale tangential shear, Geological Bulletin of China (in Chinese), 2002, 219(4-5): 232–237.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Andersen, T. B., Extensional tectonics in the Caledonides of southern Norway, an overview, Tectonophysics, 1998, 285: 333–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Fossen, H., Extensional tectonics in the Caledonides: Synorogenic or postorogenic? Tectonics, 2000, 19(2): 213–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Burchfier, B. C., Royden, L. H., North-south extension within the convergent Himalayan region, Geology, 1985, 13: 679–682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Dewey, J. E., Extension collapse of orogens, Tectonics, 1988, 7(6): 1123–1139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Chemenda, A. L., Mattauer, M., Malavieille, J. et al., A mechanism for syn-collisional rock exhumation and associated normal faulting: Results from physical modeling, Earth and Planetary Science Letter, 1995, 132: 225–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Jiang, L. L., Wu, W. P., Liu, Y. C. et al., Deformation history and exhumation process of the UHPM rocks in the Dabieshan, Scientia Geologica Sinica (in Chinese), 1999, 34(4): 432–441.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Li, S. G., Jagoutz, E., Chen, Y. Z. et al., Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopic chronology and cooling history of ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks and their country rocks at Shuanghe in the Dabie Mountain, central China, Geochim Cosmochim Acta, 2000, 64(6): 1077–1093.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Liu, Y. C., Xu, S. T., Li, S. G. et al., Tectonic setting and cooling history of eclogites from northern Dabie Mountains, Journal of China university of Geoscience (in Chinese), 2003, 28(1): 11–16.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laili Jiang.

About this article

Cite this article

Jiang, L., Wu, W., Chu, D. et al. Post-collisional extensional and thrust-nappe structures in northern part of Dabie Mountains. Chin.Sci.Bull. 48, 2378–2385 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1360/03wd0065

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1360/03wd0065

Keywords

Navigation