Yu Wang

• PhD
• Professor at China University of Geosciences (Beijing)

Isotope chronology has developed over the last >100 years and has advanced in response to the requirements of geological research. As well as technical, instrumental, and methodological advances in geochronology, still, accurate and precise dating of geological materials, processes, and events are needed. New findings and highlights of this book on...

The Helanshan Mountain tectonic belt (HTB) is an intraplate deformation belt along the northwestern border of the Ordos Block in the North China Craton. When and why this intracontinental tectonic belt formed, its subsequent uplift and erosion, and the relationships between ranges and adjacent basins remain unclear. To better assess the connections...

The initiation of a continental rift or the birth of an oceanic basin, and their long-term evolution, are challenges in the understanding of the evolution of regional and global tectonics. Rifts develop within the interior or margins of plates, essentially as extensional structures, and they have been studied widely since the discovery of plate tec...

The late Paleozoic–early Mesozoic magmatic rocks along the Solonker suture zone in southeastern Inner Mongolia provide significant insights into the late-stage tectonic evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Here, we report zircon U–Pb ages, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions for volcanic rocks from the Linxi are...

The Fanshi Basin is one of the NE-SW-striking depocenters formed along the northern segment of the fault-bounded Shanxi rift. In order to understand the crustal driving stresses that led to the basin formation and development, a paleostress analysis of a large number of fault-slip data collected mainly at the boundaries of the basin was accomplishe...

The Fanshi Basin is one of the NE–SW-striking depocentres formed along the northern segment of the fault-bounded Shanxi rift. In order to understand the crustal driving stresses that led to the basin formation and development, a palaeostress analysis of a large quantity of fault-slip data collected mainly at the boundaries of the basin was accompli...

The theory of plate tectonics suggests that deformation occurs mainly along plate boundaries; however, compression can result in the formation of orogens and basins within intracontinental settings. During these two tectonic processes, the sedimentation and environmental changes occur in response to marginal and intracontinental deformation. Early...

The petrogenesis of adakite and adakitic rocks and their tectonic settings are debated. Adakites may be derived by many processes which include: partial melting of subducted oceanic slab or lower crustal material; fractional crystallization of basaltic magma; magma mixing processes associated with arc-related and non-arc tectonic settings. It may b...

The Bengge biotite aegirine‐augite syenite (BAS) is located in the southern part of Yidun Arc, eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau area. It is an integral part of the Bengge ultrapotassic rocks (UPR), an alkalic complex mainly consisting of BAS, biotite pyroxene syenite (BPS), and biotite syenite (BS). Geochronological studies including zircon LA...

The Taiyuan basin, initiated during the late Cenozoic, is part of the left-stepping en-echelon graben systems of Shanxi. The state of stress in this area and its evolution over time is a significant concern given the existence of high shear strain and seismic risk along the basin boundary faults. In the present study, the inversion of fault-slip da...

The Panzhihua layered intrusions is generated closely related to the Emeishan LIPs. This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of plagioclase and pyroxene. The quantitative texture analysis of 2209 plagioclase shows that the characteristic length of plagioclase is 0.54 to 0.96 mm, the intercept variation range is large, from ‐0.67 to 0.96, and th...

The NE–NNE-trending Yuan-Ma Basin in central South China, an overprinted basin, is important for understanding the transition in Mesozoic intracontinental deformation in South China from compressional to extensional settings. A detailed sedimentary and structural cross-section across the basin reveals the Upper Triassic – Lower Jurassic black coal-...

The southwest margin of the Yangtze Block underwent multiple tectonic events including the collision between the Yangtze and the South China Plate, Caledonian folding and uplift of South China, subduction of the western Pacific Plate, and Cenozoic continental escape during the Indo–Asia collision. The structural framework and tectonic evolution of...

The NE striking Longmen Shan Thrust Belt (LSTB) forms the northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau and merges northward with the southwestern Qinling orogenic belt. The LSTB is characterized by the Late Cenozoic SE-ward overthrusting and a current 60- to 70-km crustal thickness. Structural constraints link the Late Cenozoic deformation and crustal th...

Picrites are potentially near-primary melts that offer rare insights into the earliest stages of magmatic evolution. However, without detailed investigation of magmatic processes, robust records of early melt evolution and mantle melting behavior cannot be acquired. Here petrological and geochemical interrogations of the Dali picrites were conducte...

The relationship between the Yanshanian Movement, destruction of the North China Craton (NCC), and subduction of the western Pacific plate is crucial to reconstructing the middle-late Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the eastern Asian continent and margin. The Yanshanian Movement was a globally important change in crustal tectonics during the Middle-...

Detailed structural, volcanic, and sedimentary investigations of the crustal response to the emplacement of the Middle–Late Permian Emeishan large igneous province show that a rifting system developed prior to the main stage of flood basalt eruptions, in the form of sedimentary breccias, clastic sedimentary deposits and mafic hydromagmatic units. D...

The timing of events during the tectonic evolution of the North China Craton (NCC) and the east China region is debated. Extension, compression, transpression, and shearing occurred throughout the NCC since ~ 320 Ma. These main structural stages and the temporal evolution of the structural framework and kinematics are summarized. We present here da...

Silicic rocks occur in the uppermost units of the longest volcanic succession (~ 5000 m thick) in the Binchuan area of the Permian Emeishan flood basalt province of SW China. They are predominantly rhyolites and to a lesser extent trachytes, both containing potassium feldspar megacrysts as the dominant phenocryst phase up to approximately 20 mm in...

During the deformation of continental blocks, the magnitude of tectonic stress generally decreases with increasing distance from the margin of the block. However, the timing and kinematics of stress transmission from the margins to the interiors of continents are poorly resolved, even though this information is critical to our understanding of the...

Magma mingling has been identified within the continental margin of southeastern China. This study focuses on the relationship between mafic and felsic igneous rocks in composite dikes and plutons in this area, and uses this relationship to examine the tectonic and geodynamic implications of the mingling of mafic and felsic magmas. Mafic magmatic e...

The Xinli orogenic gold deposit, with gold resources of 40t, located in the northwestern part of the giant Jiaodong gold province, eastern China, is controlled by the Sanshandao Fault and is one of a few deposits hosted by the Early Cretaceous ~129-128Ma Guojialing granitoid. Soon after intrusion, the granitoid underwent ductile shearing at >400-50...

It remains unclear whether a crystalline basement exists in SE China (including Taiwan), whether the formation of the Tananao metamorphic belt in Taiwan was linked to subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Plate, and whether the source rocks of the sedimentary sequences in the metamorphic belts are late Mesozoic or Palaeozoic in age. Field investigations...

The basaltic pillow lavas in the Liuyuan region of NW China, considered to be part of an ophiolitic suite, have been central to the models on tectonic setting, evolution and timing of the final closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. New field evidence on the sedimentary units associated with the basalts reveals comparable sequences in the northern and...

The basaltic pillow lavas in the Liuyuan region of NW China, considered to be part of an ophiolitic suite, have been central to the models on tectonic setting, evolution and timing of the final closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. New field evidence on the sedimentary units associated with the basalts reveals comparable sequences in the northern and...

A transformation in the tectonic regime affected the continental crust of eastern China during the Middle-Late Jurassic period by changing tectonic trends from E-W to NE and then NNE. The Mesozoic Yanshan tectonic belt in northern China has a distinctive three-segment geometry. This includes a segment south and west of Beijing with a NE trend, a ce...

Models for the disruption of supercontinents have considered mantle plumes as potential triggers for continental extension and the formation of large igneous provinces (LIPs). An alternative hypothesis of top-down tectonics links large volcanic eruptions to lithospheric delamination. Here we argue that the formation of several LIPs in Tarim, Yangtz...

The Shihu gold deposit is located in the northern Taihang Tectonic belt, which is a part of the North China Craton. The Shihu gold deposit is hosted by amphibolite to granulite facies rocks in the Archean Fuping Metamorphic Complex and defined as post-magmatic hydrothermal type of gold deposit. Hydrothermal alteration by means of isocon analysis sh...

The porphyritic monzogranite of Laojunshan (eastern Qinling in central China) forms a W–E elongated pluton characterized by a varying abundance of cm-scale potassium-feldspar (Kfs) megacrysts (with or without plagioclase mantles), mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) and associated mafic dykes. The measurements of the shape preferred orientation of...

The environment where the Permian Emeishan large igneous province (LIP) of Southwest China erupted remains controversial, especially regarding whether it was terrestrial, involving a 1 km scale domal uplift, or submarine. Slightly younger Daqiao conglomerate and Binchuan pillow lavas suggest that the Emeishan LIP erupted in a submarine environment....

Giant plagioclase crystals carried into the Panzhihua gabbroic layered intrusion from a deeper magma chamber can help constrain the timescales of emplacement of the Panzhihua intrusion in the Emeishan large igneous province (LIP). In this study, we present the petrographic textures and chemical compositions of giant plagioclase and fine-grained gab...

Early Permian mafic magmatism, the partial melting of the crust, and high-temperature metamorphism in the Chinese Altai, south-central Altaids, provide an excellent case study of exchange of energy and mass between the mantle and crust. Field and petrographic observations, together with microprobe mineral analyses, have, for the first time, allowed...

Giant plagioclase basalts (GPBs) reflect the storage of flood basalt magma in subvolcanic magma chambers at crustal depths. In this study of the Late Permian Emeishan large igneous province in southwest China, we focus on understanding the plumbing system and ascent of large-volume basaltic magma. We report a quantitative textural analysis and bulk...

Reactivation of cratonic basement involves a number of processes including extension, compression, and/or lithospheric delamination. The northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), adjacent to the Inner Mongolian Orogenic Belt, was reactivated in the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic. During this period, the northern margin of the NCC underwent...

Early Mesozoic Basins in the Yanshan Fold–Thrust Belt (YFTB), located along the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), record significant intraplate deformation of unknown age. In this article, we present evidence for the rapid exhumation of high‐grade basement rocks along the northern margin of the NCC in the Early Mesozoic. U–Pb geochro...

The Paleotethyan tectonic history of northeast Tibet remains hotly debated, particularly regarding the nature of the Jinsha suture. Different interpretations of the Jinsha suture lead to different tectonic reconstructions of northeast Tibet, southern Eurasian continent. We identified three tectonic units along the western segment of the Jinsha sutu...

The identification of magmatic flow that intruded into the metamorphic basement and the recognition of the differences between magmatic flow and metamorphic gneiss and mylonite along the ductile shear zones constitute important problems that should be reconsidered in modern petrology and structural geology. According to a comparative study of the f...

Active faulting in southern Tibet consists of N–S trending extensional faults and linked strike-slip faults, which are an expression of regional E–W extension. A second type of extensional deformation associated with N–S movement is also recognized. This extension is expressed as a series of shear zones and normal faults in the High Himalayas – the...

The Kung Co rift is a ~NNW-striking, WSW-dipping normal fault exposed in southern Tibet, and is part of an extensive network of active ~NS-striking normal faults exposed across the Tibetan Plateau. The Butree Re segment of the Kung Co fault consists of a 60° SW-dipping fault plane that cuts the 19.06 ± 0.15 Ma (U/Pb zircon age) Kung Co granite and...

Eastern China underwent structural evolution from N-S contraction to NW-SE contraction and then ESE-ward crustal thinning during Mesozoic-Cenozoic time; however, the mechanisms are still poorly understood. The Western Hills of Beijing are located at the junction among the E-W-trending Yinshan-Yanshan tectonic belt, the NNE-trending Taihang Mountain...

The Kung Co rift is an approximately NNW striking, WSW dipping normal fault exposed in southern Tibet and is part of an extensive network of active approximately NS striking normal faults exposed across the Tibetan Plateau. Detailed new and published (U-Th)/He zircon and apatite thermochronometric data from the footwall of the early Miocene Kung Co...

Terra Nova, 22, 264–273, 2010AbstractThe problem of location of the North China Block (NCB) during the Palaeozoic and its history of uplift and erosion have not been established satisfactorily. A regional unconformity was developed in the NCB between the Upper Ordovician and the Middle–Upper Carboniferous. Zircon grains in the samples collected for...

The development of structures and their age along the segment of the Altyn Tagh fault system, and the eastward extension of the Tianshan orogenic belt, remain speculative. Recent investigations on the structural framework, granitic intrusions, and metamorphic rocks in the eastern Tianshan and adjacent areas show that the NE-striking Xingxingxia sin...

The Machaoying fault zone extends along the southern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) and controlled the regional structures and hydrothermal mineral systems in this area. The fault underwent at least two major deformational phases, as revealed by macro- and micro-structural observations from a well-developed segment of the fault in the Hongz...

Previous studies suggested an important, but yet poorly-understood, tectonic transition in the Altaids (also termed the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, CAOB) in the Permian. This tectonic transition, clearly documented by published stratigraphic data and provenance analyses, suggested a unified Junger–Turfan basin in northwest China in Permian time an...

High-angle normal faulting in eastern China was an important tectonic process responsible for the rifting of the eastern Asian continental margin. Along the southern segment of the Tan-Lu fault system, part of the eastern China rift-system, 55–70° east-dipping normal faults are the oldest structures within this rift-system. Chlorite, pseudotachylit...

Postcollisional extrusion and tectonic evolution in the eastern Tianshan orogenic belt (ETOB) remains poorly known, especially the mechanism of dextral strike-slip motion and associated tectonic exhumation. To better constrain this development, a structural and 40 Ar= 39 Ar geochronological study was carried out on a syndextral strike-slip intrusio...

The NNE-trending Taihang Mountain belt, North China, is an intracontinental anomalous zone with a significant magmatic and gravity signature. From structural investigations, U-Pb dating, and 40Ar/39Ar chronological analyses, a three-stage tectonic evolution sequence can be reconstructed for the northern part of the Taihang Mountain belt during the...

The north Himalayan gneissic domes consist of several metamorphic and plutonic culminations that extend ~650-700 km in east-west direction. These orthogneissic domes are mantled by high-grade metamorphic rocks (Lee et al. 2000, 2004; Burchfiel et al. 1992), and in turn, are mantled by low-grade metamorphic to unmetamorphosed rocks. Five zircon SHRI...

The kinematics of deformation associated with the formation of the south Tibetan metamorphic domes has important implication for the distribution of extensional (top-to-the north) tectonic regime represented by the STDS (South Tibetan Detachment System, Figure 1). However, this deformation has not been well-documented. Even for the Kangmar dome (Fi...

Combined petrographic, structural and geochronological study of the Malashan dome, one of the North Himalayan gneiss domes, reveals that it is cored by a Miocene granite, the Malashan granite, that intruded into the Jurassic sedimentary rocks of Tethys Himalaya. Two other granites in the area are referred to as the Paiku and Cuobu granites. New zir...

As a major tectonic collage within the Central Asia Orogen Belt (CAOB), the Chinese Tianshan provides a natural laboratory for studying structures resulting from the amalgamation of different tectonic units. Detailed field and micro-tectonic observations along two orogen-perpendicular transects identify several structural domains with greatly varia...

Around the Tianchi eruption cone, the Junjianshan Formation which builds the Tianchi basalt shield can be divided into three units. They are, from bottom to top, the Toudao, Baishan and Laofangzixiaoshan units, respectively. Individual basaltic flows of the Tianchi shield vary significantly in volume and in spatial distribution from a few to dozens...

The Tengchong volcanic field, located along the southeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau, experienced multiple eruption stages since the late Miocene, including time intervals of ∼5.5–4.0Ma, 3.9–0.9Ma, 0.8–0.01Ma, and younger than 0.01Ma. These eruption stages produced different volcanic rocks, principally basaltic and basaltic-andesite series. A...

In the west Hills of Beijing, structural stages are very complicated, but one of the most important constraints is the timing of the ESE110° - 120° stretching lineations and correlated dioritic: dykes. Based on the detailed field study, macro- and micro-structure analysis, this paper reports zircon U-Pb ages of the Nanjiao dioritic dykes, syn-defor...

Between the Qiangtang Block and Yalung-Zangpo Suture Zone in the south-central Tibetan Plateau, the following geological units and suture zones have been identified from south to north: the Gangdese Granitic Belt, the Lhasa Block, the Nyainqentanghla Shear Zone, the Dangxiong–Sangxiong Tectono-granitic Belt and the Bangong–Nujiang Suture Zone. To b...

Since the middle Miocene, widely distributed N-S striking rifts or rift-depressions and NE-NW-striking strike-slip faults have devel- oped as major structures in southern and south-central Tibet. Active structures, seismic mechanisms and directions and rates of move- ment determined from GPS data are diVerent in south and south-central Tibetan Plat...

New U-Pb zircon, monazite, 40Ar/39Ar, and apatite fission track ages provide constraints on the timing of formation and exhumation of the Mabja Dome, southern Tibet, shed light on how this gneiss dome formed, and provide important clues on the tectonic evolution of middle crustal rocks in southern Tibet. Zircons from a deformed leucocratic dyke swa...

The Nyalam detachment is part of the east-west striking South Tibetan Detachment System exposed in the Nyalam area, southern Tibet. Seventeen muscovite and biotite ⁴⁰ Ar/ ³⁹ Ar age spectra and three K-feldspar multidiffusion domain modelling and cooling ages are presented for metamorphic rocks, leucogranite, granite and mylonite, collected from the...

In eastern China, the Dabie Shan–Su–Lu orogenic belt has been separated by the Tan–Lu sinistral strike–slip fault. Mylonites are exposed along the strike–slip fault system in the southern segment, and along the eastern margin of the Dabie Shan orogenic belt. The country rocks of the mylonites are retrograde UHP eclogites, gneissic granites, muscovi...

Research on the post-collisional structural deformation in the orogenic belt is a weak study field. The authors state the feature of the Koumenzi ductile shear zone of thrusting-type in northern slope of Harlik Mountains in this paper based on field investigations and in-door researches, and suggest that the Harlik Mountains has experienced the NNE...

We combine zircon sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U-Pb spot dating and mica 40Ar-39Ar plateau ages with field-geological and geochemical constraints from the Mala shan area of Southern Tibet to show that the deformed granite core of the North Himalayan metamorphic domes in this area is not Indian basement, but was intruded and deformed dur...

To better constrain the probable timing of formation and evolution of the Altyn Tagh sinistral strike-slip system in the Mesozoic, a 40Ar/39Ar thermochronological study has been carried out in the north-central segment of the Altyn Tagh fault system, the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, and the eastern Kunlun orogenic belt. Muscovite, biotite,...

The Wudalianchi volcanic field developed during the Pleistocene–Holocene but is dormant at present. Its latest eruption occurred in 1719–1721 AD. The volcanic rocks are high-potassium alkaline basalts derived from the upper mantle (c. 100–120 km depth) as indicated by geochemical data. The field is located in an old tectonic transition zone surroun...

Field, structural, and metamorphic petrology investigations of Mabja gneiss dome, southern Tibet, suggest that contractional, extensional, and diapiric processes contributed to the structural evolution and formation of the domal geometry. The dome is cored by migmatites overlain by sillimanite-zone metasedimentary rocks and orthogneiss; metamorphic...

This paper described in detail the structural features of the central Tianshan block along Houxia-Wuwamen section of the Wulumuqi-Korla highway. Basing upon field and microstructural observations, three ductile shearing zones associated with the Central Tianshan Block are identified. The ductile shearing zone occurred along the Northern Margin of t...

Mafic volcanic rocks have erupted in the Tianchi volcanic zone, Changbai Mountains, northeast China, since late Pliocene time. The zone formed in an extensional environment during early-middle Cenozoic time, and in a compressional environment during late Cenozoic. Crustal thickness (about 40 km) in the Changbai Mountains is larger than the regional...

The active volcanoes in China are located in the Changbaishan area, Jingbo Lake, Wudalianchi, Tengchong and Yutian. Several of these volcanoes have historical records of eruption and geochronological evidence of Holocene activity. Tianchi Volcano is a well-preserved Cenozoic polygenetic central volcano, and, due to its recent history of powerful ex...

Structural, thermobarometric, and thermochronologic investigations of the Kangmar Dome, southern Tibet, suggest that both extensional and contractional deformational histories are preserved within the dome. The dome is cored by an orthogneiss which is mantled by staurolite+kyanite zone metasedimentary rocks; metamorphic grade dies out up section an...

Apatite minerals separated from samples that were collected from elevations of 520m to 1 950m on the Huashan batholith, yielded fission-track ages of (20.59 ± 3.6) Ma to (29.26 ± 3.3) Ma. The data suggest an uplift rate of 0.019 to 0.189mm/a. One zircon mean fission track age of (43.45 ± 2.7) Ma also suggests that the Huashan batholith started to u...

The Tanlu fault zone extending toward northeast China is branched into three subdivison parts. They are Yilan-Yitong, Mishan-Dunhua and Siping-Changchun faults. According to the isotopic chronological determination, the Rb-Sr isochron age of the diabase whole rock within the fault zone is (100±5. 9)Ma, the 40Ar/ 39Ar plateau age of the augite is 10...