Toward a stepwise Kwangsian Orogeny

Abstract

The Kwangsian Orogeny originated along the southeast coast of China and stepwise developed in a northwest direction. It includes two stages, a long locally varying uplift from the Late Ordovician to the early Silurian and a finally tectonic movement near the Silurian and Devonian transition. The Kwangsian uplift event shows a stepwise delay northwestwards from the southeastern coast area in Nemagraptus gracilis Biozone (Sa1) to the south side of the Xuefeng Mountains in or later than Cystograptus vesiculosus Biozone (R3) to Coronograptus cyphus Biozone (R4). In the southern of Yangtze Platform, the Yichang Uplift was droved by the Kwangsian Orogeny forming a diachronous stratigraphical break through Rhuddanian and Aeronian. The distribution of the early Telychian lower marine red beds indicates a northwestward increase of the Cathaysian Oldland. Stratigraphical evidence may explain why the Kwangsian movement was marked by an angular disconformity during the Pridoli to earliest Devonian interval.