Abstract
The evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean had a profound effect on global climate change and the evolution of life. To better constrain the Cretaceous paleogeographic position of the Tethyan Himalaya and evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, combined paleomagnetic and detrital zircon U Pb geochronological research was performed on samples from the Gyabula Formation, constrained at ca. 117.7–94.4 Ma, in the Zhongba area of the northern Tethyan Himalaya. Both positive fold and reversal tests combined with a maximum grouping at 106% unfolding indicate that the high-temperature component directions were acquired before folding and were most likely of primary origin. The tilt-corrected directions yielded a paleopole at 29.2°N, 280.5°E with A 95 = 5.1° and a corresponding paleolatitude of −29.0° ± 5.1°N for the sampled area (29.7°N, 84.0°E). No significant inclination shallowing was identified from the sampled cherts. Comparison of the observed paleolatitude with those expected from the Indian craton indicated that an 840 ± 670 km north-south distance existed between the northern Tethyan Himalaya and the Indian craton for the reference point (29.7°N, 84.0°E). Because of the anticlockwise rotation of the Indian craton, this amounts to a crustal extent of 1130 ± 900 km at ca. 106 Ma, which represents the amount of north-south crustal shortening. Our new results, together with reliable Cretaceous paleomagnetic data obtained from the Tethyan Himalaya, indicate that no wide oceanic basin extended between the Tethyan Himalaya and Indian craton at ca. 106–75 Ma and that there was still a contiguous Indian subcontinent. • The Zhongba area of the northern Tethyan Himalaya (TH) was located at 29.0° ± 5.1°S at ca. 117.7–94.4 Ma • 1130 ± 900 km of north-south shortening occurred between the northern Tethyan Himalaya and the Indian craton • No wide oceanic basin extended between the TH and the Indian craton at ca. 106–75 Ma
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