Paleomagnetic Investigation of Rock Formations from Junggar Basin, NW China

板块构造理论假定地球的岩石圈被分解成构造板块或板块，这些板块或板块在地质年代中相互移动和滑动。我们对中国各构造块体与西伯利亚碰撞事件的运动学和持续时间的了解仍然很少。同样，中亚褶皱带本身的增生史也是有争议的。关于亚洲构造组合的基本信息的缺乏阻碍了我们对该地区复杂构造历史的认识。本研究的主要目的是对准噶尔盆地古生代和中生代岩石进行研究，以解决目前存在争议的关键问题：中亚带地体增生史；准噶尔盆地相干性；以及地壳过度缩短。贯穿这项工作的一个共同主线是获得可靠的古地磁数据，这些数据与亚洲的构造和地球动力学演化有关，包括导致其南缘海洋地体和大陆块体碰撞的构造序列，以及在漫长的增生过程中随之而来的大规模位移和旋转。为了解决这些问题，我们收集了准噶尔盆地的古地磁和地质年代学样本。通过对古地理图的地球物理认识和精化，有助于识别中亚带形成稀有金属成矿和油气潜力的古环境。这个项目的科学成果将与研究大陆构造的科学家密切相关，这些科学家的兴趣范围从岩石圈的生长到深部地幔动力学，再到研究地幔柱活动、大火成岩省的产生和地磁极性超年代制之间可能存在的关系。这项研究的数据将在国家会议上展示，向美国国家科学基金会报告，并在同行评议的、备受瞩目的国际期刊文章和基于网络的古地磁数据库中传播，以便更广泛地传播。该奖项由美国国家科学基金会国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

Plate tectonic theory postulates that the Earth's lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates or blocks that move and slide past or toward each other over geological time. Our knowledge of the kinematics and duration of collisional events between various Chinese tectonic blocks and Siberia is still poorly known. Similarly, the accretionary history of the Central Asian fold belt itself is contentious. A lack of basic information regarding the tectonic assembly of asia hinders our understanding of the complex tectonic history of this region. The primary goal of this research is to study the Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks from the Junggar Basin, Northwest China, to address key questions that are currently debated: Terrane Accretionary History of the Central Asian Belt; Coherence of the Junggar Basin; and Excessive Crustal Shortening. A common thread running through the proposed work is to obtain reliable paleomagnetic data bearing on the tectonic and geodynamic evolution of Asia, including the sequence of configurations leading up to collision of oceanic terranes and continental blocks along its southern margin and the large-scale displacements and rotations that ensued during the long process of accretion. To address these questions we are collecting paleomagnetic and geochronologic samples from the Junggar Basin. In addition to the scientific objectives of this research, the project is contributing to the education of graduate and undergraduate students in a STEM discipline and is promoting significant international collaboration with scientists from Taiwan and The Peoples Republic of China. Geophysical insight and refinement of paleogeographic maps from this study may help identify the ancient environments that were conducive to the formation of the rare-metal mineralization and petroleum potential in the central Asian belt region. The scientific results from this project will be germane to a broad range of scientists studying continental tectonics with interests ranging from the growth of the lithosphere to deep-mantle dynamics to examining questions regarding possible relations between plume activity, large igneous province production, and geomagnetic polarity superchrons. The data from this study will be presented at national meetings, reported to the NSF, and disseminated in peer-reviewed, high-profile international journal articles and web-based paleomagnetic database for wider dissemination. This award is co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.