Late cretaceous paleomagnetic results from Northeast Asian continental margin: The Sikhote Alin mountain range, eastern Russia

Welded tuffs in the Upper Cretaceous Kisin Group have been collected for pa leomagnetic study from 24 sites in Sikhote Alin, eastern Russia. Normal pal eomagnetic directions from 11 sites are regarded as primary directions, whe reas reversed paleomagnetic directions from 13 sites are ascribed to second ary origin. The normal directions of the Kisin Group together with the char acteristic directions of the Sijanov Group yield the Late Cretaceous charac teristic direction of Sikhote Alin (D=355.0 degrees, I=59.8 degrees with al pha(95)=7.2 degrees). A significant separation (15.4 degrees+/-11.9 degrees ) of pole positions is observed between Sikhote Alin (85.9 degrees N, 11.3 degrees E with A(95)=10.1 degrees) and the North China Block. Sikhote Alin has been subjected to counterclockwise rotation through 20.5 degrees+/-17.7 degrees with respect to North China Block. The rotation occurred during 66 -51 Ma, and is ascribed to sinistral motion along the central Sikhote Alin fault.