The Qinling-Dabie Belt represents the boundary between the North and South China blocks (NCB, SCB, respectively), where ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) rocks are widespread. A structural study in eastern Qinling and zircon LA ICPMS dating of the migmatites that form the core of the Central Qinling Unit allows us to argue that continental collision occurred in the Silurian, before 400 Ma. In the Late Palaeozoic, from the Devonian to the Permian, the northern margin of SCB experienced a continental rifting. From the Late Permian to Middle Triassic, northward continental subduction of SCB is responsible for the development of a high-pressure metamorphism. The age of the UHP metamorphism remains unsettled yet. A two-time genesis, Early Palaeozoic and Early Triassic, is often preferred, but a single Palaeozoic age followed by a Triassic resetting cannot be ruled out. © 2007 Académie des sciences.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Earth Sciences
Research Group:	Geology
Research Field:	Igneous and metamorphic petrology
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences
UTAS Author:	Meffre, SJM (Professor Sebastien Meffre)
ID Code:	56632
Year Published:	2008
Web of Science® Times Cited:	80
Deposited By:	Centre for Ore Deposit Research - CODES CoE
Deposited On:	2009-05-18
Last Modified:	2009-05-21
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