Tectonic evolution of the Tancheng-Lujiang (Tan-Lu) fault via Middle Triassic to Early Cenozoic paleomagnetic data

The north-striking Tancheng-Lujiang (Tan-Lu) fault is a conspicuous and con troversial feature of the eastern Asian landscape. Near the southeast extre mity of the fault in Anhui Province, we collected paleomagnetic samples at 17 Middle Triassic (T2) and 10 Upper Cretaceous (K2) to lower Cenozoic (E1) sites. T2 remanent magnetizations are interpreted as primary in two of thr ee areas. The three areas are rotated 37 degrees to 137 degrees countercloc kwise with respect to the South China Block (SCB) reference direction. K2-E 1 remanent magnetization directions pass regional fold and reversals tests and are not rotated with respect to surrounding areas. Counterclockwise rot ation of T2 strata therefore ended before K2 and is attributed to left late ral shear acting along Tan-Lu during the North China Block (NCB)-SCB collis ion. In Shandong Province, 700 km north of the Anhui sites, four areas cont aining 33 Upper Jurassic (53) and Cretaceous sites have negligible declinat ion differences, except for one which has dispersed directions. The fold te st is inconclusive for this latter area and positive for the other three. R egional concordance of the J3-E1 paleomagnetic data (including paleolatitud es) together with observed deformation patterns suggest that an extensional regime prevailed in the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Euler pole positions that constrain the North-South China collision and account for Tan-Lu moti on suggest at least 500 km of sinistral shear took place along the fault, a nd either (1) subduction and related ultrahigh pressure (UHP) metamorphism occurred near the present location of the Qinling-Dabieshan and Sulu UHP be lts while Tan-Lu acted as a transform fault that connected the two subducti on zones, or (2) Tan-Lu and Sulu were parts of the same transform fault sys tem and no UHP rocks formed in situ at Sulu. In either case, UHP rocks orig inally exhumed near Dabieshan could have been transported by plate capture toward Sulu along Tan-Lu, After North and South China impacted near Dabiesh an, the Tan-Lu fault grew within the SCB as the Dabieshan corner indented t he SCB, causing folds in SCB cover rocks to conform to the NCB margin. Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic reactivation of Tan-Lu, with both right lateral str ike-slip and normal fault motion, occurred as the SCB extruded east relativ e to the NCB under the influence of the India-Asia collision.