Abstract
The South China fold belt has experienced a complex series of tectonic events that span 1.0 billion years of earth history. Longhushan (龙虎山) World Geopark is located on the Proterozoic suture between the Yangtze craton and Cathyasia block and highlights the long history of this belt. Collision of the Cathyasia and Yangtze cratons 1.0 billion years ago was associated with the formation of the Rodinian supercontinent where most of the planet’s landmasses were amalgamated into one block. Jurassic through Early Cretaceous magmatism was associated with the inland migration of the continental margin arc associated with the penetration of a flat slab after subduction of the Kula-Farallon ridge. Slab roll-back in the Early to Middle Cretaceous opened many extensional basins across the South China fold belt, including the Xinjiang (信江) basin in which Longhushan is located, and these were filled largely with continental red beds deposited by fluvial systems in the hot torrid climate. The beds are richly fossiliferous, including remains of many dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs. Subduction of the Kula-Pacific plate in the Middle Cretaceous caused a short magmatic pulse, and then, the basins subsided slowly through the remainder of the Cretaceous. Cenozoic uplift of the red bed basins was initiated by the India-Asia collision. The uplift was associated with the formation of many faults, joints, and brittle structures that dissected the red bed deposits. Fluvial erosion of the red beds was enhanced along the brittle structures, and different locations have developed very distinctive and structurally controlled geomorphological features including mesas, kopjies, and isolated stone peaks that are known in China as Danxia (丹霞) land-forms. Together, these features form Danxia landscapes, and Longhushan World Geopark exhibits a complete range of the Danxia landscapes from juvenile, to mature and to old stages of development. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Geopark program ensures that these features and geologic history will be preserved in their pristine state and be available for study and appreciation for generations to come.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References Cited
Bradley, D. C., Kusky, T. M., Haeussler, P., et al., 2003. Geologic Signature of Early Ridge Subduction in the Accretionary Wedge, Forearc Basin, and Magmatic Arc of South-Central Alaska. In: Sisson, V. B., Roeske, S., Pavlis, T. L., eds., Geology of a Transpressional Orogen Developed during a Ridge-Trench Interaction along the North Pacific Margin. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 371: 19–50
Charvet, J., Lapierre, H., Yu, Y. W., 1994. Geodynamic Sig nificance of the Mesozoic Volcanism of Southeastern China. J. SE Asian Earth Sci., 9(4): 387–396
Chen, A., 1999. Mirror-Image Thrusting in the South China Orogenic Belt: Tectonic Evidence from Western Fujian, Southeastern China. Tectonophysics, 305: 497–519
Chen, J., Foland, K. A., Xing, F., et al., 1991. Magmatism along the Southeast Margin of the Yangtze Block: Precambrian Collision of the Yangtze and Cathaysia Block of China. Geology, 19: 815–818
Cui, S. Q., Li, J. R., 1983. On the Indosinian Orogeny along the Chinese Western Pacific Belt. Acta Geologica Sinica, 57: 51–61 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Gilder, S. A., Keller, G. R., Luo, M., et al., 1991. Timing and Spatial Distribution of Rifting in China. Tectonophysics, 197: 225–243
Guo, L. Z., Shi, Y. S., Ma, R. S., 1980. The Geotectonic Framework and Crustal Evolution of South China. In: Scientific Papers on Geology for International Exchange, 1. Geological Publishing House, Beijing. 109–116 (in Chinese)
Guo, L. Z., Shi, Y. S., Ma, R. S., et al., 1985. Plate Movement and Crustal Evolution of the Jiangnan Proterozoic Mobile Belt, Southern China. Earth Science, J. Ass. Geol. Col. Japan, 39(2): 156–166
Haynes, S. J., 1988. Structural Reconnaissance of the Jiangnan Geoanticline: A Suspect Terrane of Compressional Tectonic Character. In: Howell, D. G., Wiley, T. J., eds., Proc. 4th Int. Tectonostratigraphic Terrane Conf., U.S. Geol. Survey, Menlo Park, California. 31–33
Hoffman, P. F., 1991. Did the Breakout of Laurentia Turn Gondwanaland Inside Out? Science, 252: 1409–1412
Hsü, K. J., Li, J., Chen, H., et al., 1990. Tectonics of South China: Key to Understanding West Pacific Geology. Tectonophysics, 183: 9–39
Hsü, K. J., Sun, S., Li, J. L., et al., 1988. Mesozoic Overthrust Tectonics in South China. Geology, 16: 418–421
Huang, J. Q., Ren, J. S., Jiang, C. F., et al., 1987. Geotectonic Evolution of China. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 203
Jahn, B. M., Zhou, X. H., Li, J. L., 1990. Formation and Tectonic Evolution of Southeastern China and Taiwan: Isotopic and Geochemical Constraints. Tectonophysics, 183: 145–160
Jiangxi Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, 1984. the Regional Geology of Jiangxi Province, China. Geological Publishing House, Beijing. 921 (in Chinese)
Kuang, G. D., Wu, H. R., 1996. Isotopic and Paleomagnetic Constraints on the Mesozoic Tectonic Evolution of South China. Journal of Geophysical Research (Solid Earth), 101: 16137–16154
Kusky, T. M., Bradley, D. C., Donley, D. T., et al., 2003. Controls on Intrusion of Near-Trench Magmas of the Sanak-Baranof Belt, Alaska, during Paleogene Ridge Subduction, and Consequences for Forearc Evolution. In: Sisson, V. B., Roeske, S., Pavlis, T. L., eds., Geology of a Transpressional Orogen Developed during a Ridge-Trench Interaction along the North Pacific Margin. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 371: 269–292
Kusky, T. M., Windley, B. F., Zhai, M. G., 2007a. Tectonic Evolution of the North China Block: From Orogen to Craton to Orogen. In: Zhai, M. G., Windley, B. F., Kusky, T. M., et al., eds., Mesozoic Sub-continental Lithospheric Thinning under Eastern Asia. Geological Society of London Special Publication, 280: 1–34
Kusky, T. M., Windley, B. F., Zhai, M. G., 2007b. Lithospheric Thinning in Eastern Asia: Constraints, Evolution, and Tests of Models. In: Zhai, M. G., Windley, B. F., Kusky, T. M., et al., eds., Mesozoic Sub-continental Lithospheric Thinning under Eastern Asia. Geological Society of London Special Publication, 280: 331–343
Kusky, T., Young, C., 1999. Emplacement of the Resurrection Peninsula Ophiolite in the Southern Alaska Forearc during a Ridge-Trench Encounter. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104(B12): 29025–29054
Li, X. H., 2000. Cretaceous Magmatism and Lithospheric Extension in Southeast China. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 18: 293–305
Li, Z. X., 1998. Tectonic History of the Major East Asian Lithospheric Blocks since the Mid-Proterozoic: A Synthesis. American Geophysical Union Geodynamics Series, 27: 221–24
Li, Z. X., Li, X. H., 2007. Formation of the 1 300-km-Wide Intracontinental Orogen and Postorogenic Magmatic Province in Mesozoic South China: A Flat-Slab Subduction Model. Geology, 35: 179–182
Lu, B. J., 1964. A Preliminary Study of the Proterozoic Xucun Granite, Shexian County, Southern Anhui Province. In: Proc. 1st Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry. Geological Society of China. Geological Publishing House, Beijing. 144–154 (in Chinese)
Molnar, P., Tapponnier, P., 1975. Cenozoic Tectonics of Asia: Effects of a Continental Collision: features of Recent Collisional Tectonics in Asia can be Interpreted as Results of the India-Eruasia Collision. Science, 189: 419–426
Peng, H., 2001. Danxia Geomorphology of China: A Review. Chinese Science Bulletin, 46(Suppl.): 38–48
Ren, J. S., 1991. On the Geotectonics of Southern China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition), 4(2): 11l–130
Rogers, J. J. W., Santosh, M., 2003. Supercontinents in Earth History. Gondwana Research, 6: 357–368
Rowley, D. B., Ziegler, A. M., Gyou, N., et al., 1989. Comment on Mesozoic Overthrust Tectonics in South China. Geology, 17: 384–386
Wang, H., 1985. Atlas of the Paleogeography of China. Cartographic Publishing House, Beijing. 281 (in Chinese)
Zhai, M. G., Windley, B. F., Kusky, T. M., et al., 2007. Mesozoic Sub-continental Lithospheric Thinning under Eastern Asia. Geological Society of London Special Publication, 280: 352
Zhai, M. G., Xiao, W. J., Kusky, T. M., et al., 2006. Tectonic Evolution of China and Adjacent Crustal Fragments. Gondwana Research, 12: 197
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40821061), Ministry of Education of China (No. B07039), Longhushan Administrative Committee, and Starting Fund of Three Gorges Research Center for Geo-hazards, Ministry of Education, China.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kusky, T.M., Ye, M., Wang, J. et al. Geological evolution of Longhushan World Geopark in relation to global tectonics. J. Earth Sci. 21, 1–18 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-010-0009-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-010-0009-0