Paleomagnetic Investigation of Rock Formations from Junggar Basin, NW China

板块构造理论假设地球的岩石圈被分解成构造板块或块体，这些板块或块体在地质时期内移动和滑动过去或朝向彼此。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，中亚褶皱带的增生历史本身也存在争议。由于缺乏有关亚洲构造组合的基本信息，阻碍了我们对该地区复杂构造历史的理解。本研究的主要目标是研究中国西北准噶尔盆地的古生代和中生代岩石，以解决目前争论的关键问题：中亚带的地体增生历史;准噶尔盆地的一致性;和过度地壳缩短。贯穿拟议工作的一条主线是获得与亚洲构造和地球动力学演化有关的可靠古地磁数据，包括导致大洋陆块和大陆块沿着南缘碰撞的构造序列，以及在漫长的吸积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品。除了这项研究的科学目标外，该项目还有助于STEM学科的研究生和本科生的教育，并促进与台湾和中华人民共和国科学家的重大国际合作。地球物理的洞察力和完善的古地理图，从这项研究可能有助于确定古代环境，有利于形成的稀有金属矿化和石油潜力在中亚带地区。该项目的科学成果将与研究大陆构造的广大科学家密切相关，他们的兴趣从岩石圈的生长到深地幔动力学，再到研究羽流活动、大火成岩省的产生和地磁极性超年代之间可能存在的关系。这项研究的数据将在国家会议上提出，向国家科学基金会报告，并在同行评审的高知名度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NSF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.