Growth In Central Asia Research Articles

USA INVASION IN AFGHANISTAN AND ITS IMPACT ON CENTRAL ASIA

This study Examines the effects of the warfare in Afghanistan, which has resulted in immense casualties, change of political power. The political aspects of American presence in Afghanistan and its effects on the Central Asian region are the main subjects of our research. The goal of the study is to comprehend the complex relationship that emerged after 9/11 attacks and the American invasion. We use qualitative and descriptive-analytical techniques to evaluate the effects of American presence on the Central Asian nations. Our analysis focuses on assessing the effects on the economy, security, and sovereignty of the region. Afghanistan's crucial role in determining the geopolitical dynamics of the area has an impact on Central Asia, which has historically served as a crossroads for world powers. Our finding address important issues pertaining to the strategic goals of the United States in Central Asia. We shed light on how they affect regional sovereignty, economy, and security. The dynamics of Afghanistan have continued to influence interactions and conflicts in Central Asia, magnifying the engagement of international and regional forces as well as the activity of fundamentalist groups. The stability of Central Asian nations is being put under further stress by the growth of extremism. In conclusion, our research reveals the complex interactions between American participation in Afghanistan and the stability and growth of Central Asia. We provide a comprehensive analysis of how the U.S. presence has impacted Central Asian dynamics, illuminating its wider security implications for the region and the world.

Role of the Silk Road Economic Belt in Achieving Sustainable Economic Growth in Central Asia

Objective: The study aims to confirm the People's Republic of China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative as a sustainable development strategy for Central Asian countries, in particular Kazakhstan. The article aims to determine how participation in the Silk Road Economic Belt can help these countries ensure sustainable economic growth, focusing on factors such as GDP per capita and GDP growth rate. Methods: The main research method is the comparative method, which allows the use of comparative descriptive analysis to justify the prospects of participation of Central Asian countries in the Silk Road Economic Belt project. Statistical analysis and the index method are used to quantitatively demonstrate the volatility of economic dynamics. Results: Statistical data analysis reveals the volatility of economic growth in Kazakhstan, which confirms the need for the country to participate in the Silk Road Economic Belt. The analysis of economic indicators of other Central Asian countries shows that GDP per capita and GDP growth rates are lower compared to Kazakhstan, suggesting that participation in the Silk Road Economic Belt gives these countries strategic advantages as well, particularly in the implementation of joint transport and logistics projects. Conclusion: In light of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Silk Road Economic Belt project offers potential benefits to Central Asian countries, especially in areas such as transportation and logistics, and emphasizes the importance of global cooperation and strategic partnerships in achieving economic sustainability.

Human capital and economic growth in Central Asia

ABSTRACT This study explores the long-term economic performance in former Soviet republics of Central Asia for the last three decades. We look at sources of economic growth based on the extended version of the neoclassical growth model. Our key focus is to see whether human capital in the form of education and health inputs has an impact on growth rates in the region. Results show that over the entire period under study, on average, the growth rates of total factor productivity (TFP) were not remarkable, ranging from 1.4% for Kazakhstan and 0.51% for Tajikistan to −1.13% for the Kyrgyz Republic. Kazakhstan as a frontier economy of the region maintained better economic results in almost all indicators. Since 2000, TFP growth rates were notably stronger in Tajikistan compared to Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic. However, a reduction in TFP in Tajikistan in the 1990s is attributed to the country’s dire civil war.

The Economic Impact of the UzTE16M3 Diesel Locomotive on the Marokand-Kattakurgan Railway Section

The Role of FDI and Rail Transport in the Economic Development of Central Asia. This paper examines the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) and rail transport in the economic development of Central Asia. The paper begins by providing an overview of the economic development of the region, with a focus on the role of FDI. The paper then discusses the role of rail transport in the region, and the implications of the growth in rail freight between China and Europe. The paper concludes by discussing the challenges and opportunities facing Central Asia in the coming years. Central Asia has attracted significant FDI in recent years, due to the region’s abundant natural resources, its strategic location, and its improving business environment. FDI has helped to improve the infrastructure in Central Asia, and has also created jobs and boosted economic growth. Rail transport is also a key driver of economic growth in Central Asia. The growth in rail freight between China and Europe is a positive development for Central Asia, as it provides an opportunity for the region to become a major transit hub. However, Central Asia still faces a number of challenges, such as political instability and economic volatility. If Central Asia can overcome these challenges, it has the potential to become a major economic player in the years to come.

Unveiling the Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Central Asia

Empirical studies on the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the nexus between FDI and economic growth have reached mixed findings, leading to a long-standing debate among policymakers and researchers. This study explores the determinants of FDI and examines the impact of FDI on economic growth in Central Asian developing countries during 2000-2020. The Prais—Winsten regression with panels corrected standard errors and IV-2SLS estimation results indicate that trade openness, natural resources, and market size are the main factors determining the FDI location decisions of foreign investors in Central Asia. The estimates for economic growth suggest that foreign direct investment, natural resources, human capital, and infrastructure have a positive and significant impact on economic growth. On the contrary, the effect of trade openness is surprisingly negative.

The Funding of Education and The Country's Overall Economic Growth in Central Asia

This study aims to provide the groundwork for further investigations into the relationship between educational expenditures and economic growth. This investigation lends credence to earlier conclusions about the amount of money spent by the federal government on education. Both the state governments and the federal government make financial contributions to education; nevertheless, the federal government's planned and operational expenditures employ their resources in a distinct manner. Since our country has had terrible rankings for a number of years and has never even cracked the top ten, one of the most crucial concerns about the money that the government spends on education is: where does it go? This indicates that not enough human capital (HC), which is beneficial to the economy, the people, and the environment, is developed via education expenditure (ECNG). Through the use of EduEx, the purpose of this study was to establish a connection between ECNG and government education funding. According to the findings of this study, EduEx variables at all three levels of education (primary, secondary, and postsecondary) reveal a distinct cointegration link (as shown in the estimated Models 1 and 2). The years 1993 through 2017 are covered in this list of facts. The projected VECM indicates that the benefits of EDuEx operations and development education spending on ECNG won't become obvious for quite some time. According to the findings of this research, ECNG is impacted by the percentage of Uzbeks who have completed postsecondary education. The majority of Uzbekistan's working population has at least a bachelor's degree. The percentage of the working population that has at least some secondary education is unusually high
 

Determinants of the Financial Constraint and Its Effects on the SME Growth in Central Asia?

This study investigates the firm- and country-specific factors that affect SMEs’ access to finance and the relationship between financial constraint and firm growth in emerging economies of Central Asia. To address the research questions, a two-stage empirical analysis including ordered probit, probit, and feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) specifications were conducted. Firm-level data used in the analysis is obtained from the fifth round of the Business Environment and Enterprise Survey (BEEPS V) and country-level data acquired from national and international datasets. The study's findings implied that in the Central Asian economies, country-specific factors are more likely to affect access to external finance of SMEs than firm-specific determinants. Among firm-specific factors, only foreign ownership is significantly related to financing constraint perception of SMEs; where, the interest rate is positively, and domestic credit market, inflation, and log of GDP per capita are negatively related to financing constraint level. In Central Asia, an insignificant relationship between growth and financing constraints was found. The determinants of financing constraints and access to finance–growth relations, which address the issue of great significance for SME growth in the selected countries, were interpreted with region-specific factors.

Petrogenesis of Late Carboniferous-Early Permian mafic-ultramafic-felsic complexes in the eastern Central Tianshan, NW China: The result of subduction-related transtension?

Knowledge of the Late Paleozoic accretionary processes responsible for the Altaids (or southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt) is critical for a better understanding of continental growth in Central Asia. Here, we systematic study the Late Carboniferous mafic-ultramafic-felsic complexes in eastern Central Tianshan to understand the tectonic evolution of the southern Altaids. Two gabbros yield zircon crystallization ages of 301.5 ± 2.3 Ma and 300.7 ± 2.6 Ma and one granite is dated as 301.6 ± 1.5 Ma. The gabbros are tholeiitic and characterized by typical subduction-related geochemical signatures with low TiO2 contents, enrichments in Rb, Ba, U, K, Pb and Sr, negative Nb and Ta anomalies, and negative to positive Eu and Ti anomalies. The granites are the A2-type granites with high contents of SiO2, K2O + Na2O, Ga, Zr, Nb, Y, HFSE, REE, and high ratios of Fe/Mg and Y/Nb (>1.2). The gabbros and granites have high εNd(t) values of +1.64 to +5.03, zircon εHf(t) values of −2.8 to +9.1, and low (87Sr/86Sr)i (0.704007–0.705437) values. These geochemical characters demonstrate that the rocks in the complexes are fractionation genesis and that the A-type granitic rocks are the highest fractionation facies of tholeiitic mafic rocks. These results suggest that they were originated from the asthenospheric garnet-free mantle in a supra-subduction zone. Combined with regional data, we suggest that the oblique subduction with slab break-off of the Southern Tianshan oceanic plate plausibly induced asthenospheric upwelling to form the tholeiitic magma, and which intrude along the strike-faults the Central Tianshan-Yamansu arc. Accordingly, these results reveal the Paleo-Asian Ocean continued to subduct at the southern Altaids in the Late Carboniferous.

NEW COMPONENTS OF ALCEA NUDIFLORA EXTRACT AFTER MICROWAVE EXTRACTION

Alcea nudiflora (Lindl.) Boiss. (Malvaceae) has a wide area of growth in Central Asia, the Altai territory and Western Siberia and has long been used in folk and traditional medicine. Availability of the resource and long-term application practice makes Alcea nudiflora a promising source of valuable biologically active natural compounds. The chemical composition of A nudiflora has been studied after effective microwave assisted extraction (MAE) performed using solvents with different ability to convert microwave energy into heat: hexane, ethyl acetate, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ethyl alcohol (EtOH). The selected MAE conditions enabled us to reduce significantly the extraction time and obtain extracts enriched with new compounds. The chemical composition of aboveground part extracts of Alcea nudiflora (Lindl.) Boiss was studied by applying GC/MS method. 13 acids were discovered for the first time, including 6 aromatic acids and 7 unbranched monobasic acids of unsaturated and saturated series, as well as 11 new neutral compounds, including 7 naphthalene derivatives.

Public Finance and Technological Development in Central Asia

This paper discusses the current situation with government revenue, expenditure, and deficits in the economies of Central Asia and considers the options available to use fiscal policy to support the technological development of these economies. It analyses contemporary issues in the public finances of these countries including the size of their governments, efficiency losses due to uneven taxation of different sectors and entities, ineffective foreign aid, and government expenditure inefficiency. The paper provides recommendations for the modification of fiscal policies to promote economic diversification and productivity growth in Central Asia.

Labour Market and Technological Development in Central Asia

This paper discusses the current situation in the labour markets of the economies of Central Asia and considers the options available to use labour market policies to support the technological development of these economies. It analyses contemporary issues in the labour markets of these countries including the labour migration, informality, inequality, and financing of pensions through the taxation of labour. The paper provides recommendations for the modification of labour market policies to promote the economic diversification and productivity growth in Central Asia.

On the ‘Divergence Problem’ in the Alatau Mountains, Central Asia: A Study of the Responses of Schrenk Spruce Tree-Ring Width to Climate under the Recent Warming and Wetting Trend

The divergence problem, which manifests as an unstable response relationship between tree-ring growth and climatic factors under the background of global warming, poses a challenge to both the traditional theory of dendroclimatology and the reliability of climatic reconstructions based on tree-ring data. Although Schrenk spruce, as the dominant tree species in the Tianshan Mountains, is frequently applied in the dendrochronological studies, the understanding of the divergence problem of this tree species is still limited. This study conducted correlation analysis between climatic factors and tree-ring width chronologies from 51 living and healthy specimens of Schrenk spruce at sites of high and low elevation in the Alatau Mountains to determine the stability of the response. The results revealed that the tree-ring width of the spruce specimens was correlated positively with precipitation and correlated negatively with temperature. Although the variations of the two tree-ring chronologies were similar, the radial growth of the spruce at the low elevation was found more sensitive to climatic factors. Furthermore, the sensitivity of tree growth to climate demonstrated an obvious increase after an abrupt change of climate under the background of the recent warming and wetting trend. Increased drought stress, calculated based on climatic data, was regarded as the main reason for this phenomenon. The results supply the gap of the stability of climatic response of tree growth in Central Asia to some extent.

Low-carbon economic development in Central Asia based on LMDI decomposition and comparative decoupling analyses

Low-carbon economic development is a strategy that is emerging in response to global climate change. Being the third-largest energy base in the world, Central Asia should adopt rational and efficient energy utilization to achieve the sustainable economic development. In this study, the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition method was used to explore the influence factors of CO2 emissions in Central Asia (including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) during the period 1992–2014. Moreover, decoupling elasticity and decoupling index based on the LMDI decomposition results were employed to explore the relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions during the study period. Our results show that the total CO2 emissions decreased during the period 1992–1998, influenced by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent financial crisis. After 1998, the total CO2 emissions started to increase slowly along with the economic growth after the market economic reform. Energy-related CO2 emissions increased in Central Asia, mainly driven by economic activity effect and population effect, while energy intensity effect and energy carbon structure effect were the primary factors inhibiting CO2 emissions. The contribution percentages of these four factors (economic activity effect, population effect, energy intensity effect and energy carbon structure effect) to the total CO2 emissions were 11.80%, 39.08%, −14.82% and −4.32%, respectively, during the study period. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan released great quantities of CO2 with the annual average emissions of 189.69×106, 45.55×106 and 115.38×106 t, respectively. In fact, their economic developments depended on high-carbon energies. The decoupling indices clarified the relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth, highlighting the occurrence of a “weak decoupling” between these two variables in Central Asia. In conclusion, our results indicate that CO2 emissions are still not completely decoupled from economic growth in Central Asia. Based on these results, we suggest four key policy suggestions in this paper to help Central Asia to reduce CO2 emissions and build a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society.

Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Program as Driver of Regional Energy Projects to Promote Energy Security in the Post-Soviet Central Asia

The resource-sharing mechanism, which ensured sufficiency and reliability of energy supplies within the Central Asian energy system (CAES) collapsed soon after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Isolationist energy policies, both in terms of full self-reliance and self-control, without the establishment of self-sustaining independent energy systems, not only threatened security of energy supplies, but also, to a different extent, hampered the socio-economic development in Central Asia. In an attempt to mitigate the negative impact of the new energy policies, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) was introduced as one of the key programs to ensure sustainable access of the population and economies to energy. One of the top priority areas has been strengthening regional cooperative dynamics in the energy sector. Primarily focusing on regional cooperation CAREC attempts to solve the problem of uneven distribution and seasonal variation of energy production in the region, assuming that this would lead to better standards of life and economic growth. This article aims to analyze the extent of contribution of CAREC energy initiatives to improve energy security and promote energy–led economic growth in Central Asia through regional energy projects.

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of the Early Carboniferous to the Late Permian Barleik plutons in the West Junggar (NW China)

The Paleozoic accretionary orogenesis and continental crustal growth in Central Asia are thought to have close relationship with the evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO). The well-exposed plutons in the northern Barleik Mountains of the West Junggar region, NW China, may provide essential insights into the evolution of the Junggar Ocean, a branch of the PAO, and mechanism of continental crustal growth. Our work on the Barleik plutons indicates an early suite of 324–320Ma diorite and a late suite of 314–259Ma quartz syenite and granitic porphyry. All the plutons are characterized by high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic signatures, varying depletion in Nb, Ta, Sr, P, Eu, and Ti, low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70241–0.70585), strongly positive εNd(t) values (+5.7–+7.7), and young one-stage Nd model ages (390–761Ma), suggesting that they resulted from different batches of magma that were produced by fractional crystallization of a metasomatized mantle source with minor crustal contamination. The diorite is coeval with the youngest arc magmatic rocks, indicating a subduction-related origin. By contrast, the quartz syenite and granitic porphyry are geochemically similar to A2-type granites, with high Zr, Ga, and FeOT/[FeOT+MgO], and are coeval with the widespread plutons in the West Junggar. This, together with the occurrence of Late Carboniferous fluvial deposits and the lack of <320Ma ophiolitic and subduction-related metamorphic lithologies, definitively indicates a post-collisional setting after the closure of the Junggar Ocean. Slab breakoff accompanied by asthenospheric upwelling and basaltic underplating is a possible geodynamic process that is responsible for the post-collisional magmatism and vertical crustal growth in the region. Thus a tectonic switch from subduction to post-collision started at the end of the Early Carboniferous (~320Ma), probably as a result of the final closure of the Junggar Ocean.

Late Devonian to early Carboniferous arc-related magmatism in the Baolidao arc, Inner Mongolia, China: Significance for southward accretion of the eastern Central Asian orogenic belt

The Central Asian orogenic belt, formed in response to consumption of the Paleo–Asian Ocean, is one of the largest and most complex accretionary collages in the world and was responsible for considerable Phanerozoic juvenile crustal growth in Central Asia. The timing of subduction-accretion processes and closure of the Paleo–Asian Ocean is controversial. The Xilingol complex, composed of deformed quartzofeldspathic rocks and lenticular or quasi-lamellar amphibolites, is located on the northern section of the eastern Central Asian orogenic belt in Inner Mongolia, China. In this paper, we present a systematic study of the petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, and geochronology of an amphibolite and an epidote amphibolite from the complex. The protolith of the amphibolite is a gabbro or gabbroic diorite with a laser-ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) zircon U-Pb age of 382 ± 4 Ma and uniform eHf(t) values (–1.06 to +1.25). The protolith of the epidote amphibolite is a quartz diorite with a LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of 327 ± 5 Ma and uniform positive eHf(t) values (+0.78 to +4.11). The primitive magma of the Devonian gabbroic dike was generated by partial melting of a spinel lherzolite lithospheric mantle that was modified by fluids and melts from subducted slab components. A newly enriched lithospheric mantle is a possible source region for the Devonian mafic rocks. Fractionation of olivine and hornblende played a dominant role in magma differentiation with little or no crustal contamination. Amphibolite-facies metamorphism affected the Devonian gabbroic rocks at 321.6 ± 3.1 Ma, and the quartz diorite underwent epidote amphibolite-facies metamorphism at 279.4 ± 5.3 Ma, based on hornblende 40Ar/39Ar dating. The Devonian to Carboniferous intrusive rocks in the eastern Central Asian orogenic belt likely formed during the collapse of a mature arc at the southern margin of the South Mongolian microcontinent. Combining our results with previous data, we identify an initial phase of postcollisional extension (382–340 Ma) that occurred after earlier compression related to intra-oceanic subduction (484–469 Ma), ridge subduction (440–434 Ma), and arc-continent collision (427–383 Ma). We also constrain increasing extension accompanying extensive collapse of the mature arc (340–309 Ma), northward subduction of the forearc oceanic crust (322–274 Ma) coeval with development of the Hegenshan back-arc basin (354–269 Ma), and final collision (246–228 Ma). The presence of an accretionary belt along the southern margin of the South Mongolian microcontinent reflects the importance of continental growth by accretion of an arc chain during the Late Cambrian–Middle Triassic in the eastern Central Asian orogenic belt.

Potential impacts of climate change on vegetation dynamics in Central Asia

AbstractObservations indicate that although average temperatures in Central Asia showed almost no increases from 1997 to 2013, they have been in a state of high variability. Despite the lack of a clear increasing trend, this 15 year period is still the hottest in nearly half a century. Precipitation in Central Asia remained relatively stable from 1960 to 1986 and then showed a sharp increase in 1987. Since the beginning of the 21st century, however, the increasing rate of precipitation has diminished. Dramatic changes in meteorological conditions could potentially have a strong impact on the region's natural ecosystems, as some significant changes have already occurred. Specifically, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of natural vegetation in Central Asia during 1982–2013 exhibited an increasing trend at a rate of 0.004 per decade prior to 1998, after which the trends reversed, and the NDVI decreased at a rate of 0.003 per decade. Moreover, our results indicate that shrub cover and patch size exhibited a significant increase in 2000–2013 compared to the 1980s–1990s, including shrub encroachment on grasslands. Over the past 10 years, 8% of grassland has converted to shrubland. Precipitation increased in the 1990s, providing favorable conditions for vegetation growth, but precipitation slightly reduced at the end of the 2000s. Meanwhile, warming intensified 0.93°C since 1997 compared to the average value in 1960–1997, causing less moisture to be available for vegetation growth in Central Asia.

Petrogenesis of Early-Permian sanukitoids from West Junggar, Northwest China: Implications for Late Paleozoic crustal growth in Central Asia

Sanukitoids and their equivalents are rare subduction-related rock types that have been found in modern arc settings and in Late Archean sequences. The investigation of sanukitoids is of particular importance to a better understanding of crust-forming processes and continental growth. In this paper we report zircon U–Pb and Ar–Ar ages and major element, trace element, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope data for the Bieluagaxi dioritic pluton and dikes from the southern part of the West Junggar, NW China. These rocks formed in the Early Permian and show a remarkable geochemical affinity with Cenozoic sanukitoids of the Setouchi Volcanic Belt of SW Japan with high Mg# (48–73) values, Cr (54–539ppm), Ni (21–197ppm) contents and Th/La (0.15–0.37) ratios and low Sr/Y ratios (16–27) and Sr (263–442ppm) contents. They may be generated by the partial melting of subducting sediments, and subsequent melt–mantle interaction. Additionally, the sanukitoids are also widespread in the Karamay–Baogutu area of West Junggar accompanied by high Sr (average 713ppm) contents and Sr/Y (50–130) ratios, and low Y (6.9–12.6ppm) contents. The difference in petrochemical characteristics between the Baogutu–Karamay and Bieluagaxi sanukitoids can be explained by the difference in depth of initial melting, origin composition and fractional crystallization. The Baogutu–Karamay sanukitoids were probably formed under eclogitic conditions, while the Bieluagaxi sanukitoids were at a shallower depth. Moreover, the compositional similarity between continental-crust forming rocks and the Bieluagaxi sanukitoids suggests that the sanukitoids genesis could be closely related to the process of continental crust formation. The Late Carboniferous–Early Permian sanukitoids in the West Junggar may be an indicator of anomalous thermal activity. Ridge subduction may play a crucial role in the evolution and growth of the continental crust in Central Asia.

Saps II et valorisation des séjours en unité de surveillance continue : une étonnante inadéquation

We present results of combined in situ U–Pb dating of detrital zircons and zircon Hf and whole-rock Nd isotopic compositions for high-grade clastic metasedimentary rocks of the Slyudyansky Complex in eastern Siberia. This complex is located southwest of Lake Baikal and is part of an early Paleozoic metamorphic terrane in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Our new zircon ages and Hf isotopic data as well as whole-rock Nd isotopic compositions provide important constraints on the time of deposition and provenance of early Paleozoic high-grade metasedimentary rocks as well as models of crustal growth in Central Asia. Ages of 0.49–0.90 Ga for detrital zircons from early Paleozoic high-grade clastic sediments indicate that deposition occurred in the late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic, between ca. 0.62–0.69 and 0.49–0.54 Ga. Hf isotopic data of 0.82–0.69 Ga zircons suggest Archean and Paleoproterozoic (ca. 2.7–2.8 and 2.2–2.3 Ga; Hfc = 2.5–3.9 Ga) sources that were affected by juvenile 0.69–0.82 Ga Neoproterozoic magmatism. An additional protolith was also identified. Its zircons yielded ages of 2.6–2.7 Ga, and showed high positive εHf(t) values of +4.1 to +8.0, and Hf model ages tHf(DM) = tHfc = 2.6–2.8 Ga, which is nearly identical to the crystallization ages. These isotopic characteristics suggest that the protolith was quite juvenile. The whole-rock Nd isotopic data indicate that at least part of the Slyudyansky Complex metasediments was derived from “non-Siberian” provenances. The crustal development in the eastern CAOB was characterized by reworking of the early Precambrian continental crust in the early Neoproterozoic and the late Neoproterozoic–early Paleozoic juvenile crust formation.

West Pacific-type convergent boundaries: Role in the crust growth history of the Central-Asian orogen

Convergent plate boundaries like that between the present western Pacific and eastern Asia constitute a special type related to subduction in provinces of mantle superplumes. The West Pacific-type convergent boundaries may reach thousands of kilometers across and consist of several structures that regularly grade one to another from ocean to continent: island arcs, marginal and back-arc basins, and continent-margin rifts with OIB volcanism.Convergent boundaries of the West Pacific type contributed to Phanerozoic crust growth in Central Asia as accretionary structures of the Central Asian orogen on the southern periphery of Siberia belonged to such a convergence zone. The lithosphere of Siberia interacted with hot mantle as the continent moved over the African superplume, or over the respective large low shear velocity province (LLSVP), from the Vendian to the Early Mesozoic. In the Late Cenozoic, Siberia left the African LLSV province and shifted to the Pacific LLSVP. The influence of the latter has controlled the structure and evolution of the convergent boundary in the western Pacific, namely, widespread within-plate magmatism in continental Asia in Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic time.