Jurassic contractional deformation in the central–western North China Craton in response to multi-plate convergence in the East Asia

Abstract

The Jurassic multi-plate convergence in East Asia led to the intra-continental deformation in the North China Craton (NCC). However, much controversy is highlighted in the intra-continental deformation style and timing, and unanimous kinematics. The central-western North China Craton of the East Asia, typical of the Jurassic structural belts around the Ordos Block, is a key region to delineate the intra-continental deformation. Here, using new structural analysis, the definition of Jurassic growth strata, and paleo-stress inversion, grouping with our previous work on the NCC, we reconstructed a multi-directional shortening pattern in the central-western NCC during the Middle–Late Jurassic (170–160 Ma), which is characterized by N-S shortening along the northern margin of the NCC, by NW-SE shortening in the western margin and along the central zone of the NCC. In combination with regional structural analysis, we propose that the central-western North China Craton is roughly situated at the center of the multi-plate convergence during the Middle-Late Jurassic, and the southward compression was caused by the closing of the Mongolia-Okhotsk Ocean in the north, the northwestward compression by the subduction of paleo-Pacific plate beneath the East Asia continent in the east, and southeastward compression by the closure of the Meso-Tethys in the west.