Late Mesozoic extensional tectonics in the North China Craton and its adjacent regions: a review and synthesis

The late Mesozoic tectonics of the North China Craton (NCC) and its adjacent regions were characterized by a general lithospheric extension and remarked by extensional dome structures, such as the metamorphic core complexes, syn-tectonic plutons, rolling-hinge structures, and widespreadgraben/half graben basins. According to our own field observations, laboratory work, and previous results of other groups, from north to south, five extensional domains have been delineated, namely Transbaikalia-Mongol-Okhotsk, western part of NCC, eastern part of NCC and Korea, Qinling-Dabie and its neighbouring, and the interior of South China Block, respectively. As the largest crustal scale extensional tectonic realm in the world, these domains are featured by a NW-SE extensional direction with strong extensional exhumation of middle to lower crust rocks to the surface along detachment faults. Geochronological work on these ductile detachment faults constrain a narrow activity period around 130 Ma except several extensive structures along the Tan-Lu fault, which documents a relative longer extensional period. The foundering of the lower part of the lithosphere could be a possible mechanism of this continent-scale extensional tectonics. This geodynamic model could help us to enhance the knowledge of the time, scale, and mechanism of the NCC destruction from the view of structural analysis.