Mesozoic paleomagnetic results of the Tarim Craton: Tertiary relative motion between China and Siberia?

Abstract

Paleomagnetic poles from two Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous stratigraphic sections on the northern boundary of the Tarim Craton in western China are concordant with poles of similar age from eastern China. When combined with previously published data, these new results suggest that the major tectonic blocks which comprise China (the Tarim, Yangtze and Sino‐Korean cratons) have been arranged in approximately their present relative configuration since Cretaceous times. The averaged Cretaceous paleomagnetic pole for China is significantly different from the averaged Cretaceous pole for Siberia. The difference may reflect significant relative post‐Cretaceous motion between the composite China terrane and the Siberian craton. Alternatively, the Cretaceous pole for Siberia may not be reliable.