Crustal architecture and evolution of the southwestern South China Sea: Implications to continental breakup

Chang, Sung‐Ping; Pubellier, Manuel; Delescluse, Matthias; Qi, Yan; Nirrengarten, Michael; Mohn, Geoffroy; Chamot‐Rooke, Nicolas; Liang, Yijing

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2021.105450

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 110 publications

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“…It should be noted, however, that several schemes have been proposed for dating this unconformity in the MDG, determining ages of 19–16.5 Ma (Ding et al, 2013), 21.5 Ma (magnetic anomaly C6a near the Zhenghe Massif, e.g. Briais et al, 1993), 20.1 Ma (magnetic anomaly C6n, Chang et al, 2022), 21 Ma (Wang et al, 2022; Zhang, Xia, et al, 2020), 23–16 Ma (Peng et al, 2019) and 27–22 Ma (Sibuet et al, 2016). In the WDG, previous studies have proposed an age of ca.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unravelling rift propagation from Cenozoic subsidence patterns: Examples from the Dangerous Grounds, South China Sea

et al. 2023

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How seafloor spreading in marginal basins controls subsidence patterns in continental margins under rift propagation settings remains poorly understood. Herein, based on detailed geological interpretation and backstripping of 37 high‐resolution multichannel seismic reflection sections, we calculate the Cenozoic tectonic subsidence across the Dangerous Grounds (DG), South China Sea, in order to study interactions between seafloor spreading and the propagation of rift basins. Our results show that rapid subsidence occurred in the eastern Dangerous Grounds (EDG) from the Palaeocene to early Oligocene, then migrated westwards to the middle Dangerous Grounds (MDG) during the early Oligocene to early Miocene, and finally reached the western Dangerous Grounds (WDG) during the early to middle Miocene. We interpret this western migration of intensive subsidence as the response of the inherited pre‐Cenozoic heterogeneous lithospheric structure of South China. Thermal re‐equilibration of the lithosphere then dominated the rapid post‐spreading subsidence throughout the whole DG from the middle Miocene. An anomalous subsidence deficit occurred in the EDG during the early Oligocene to early Miocene, and in the MDG during the early to middle Miocene; this phenomenon might be related to small‐scale mantle convection associated with the propagation of seafloor spreading from east to southwest.

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Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unravelling rift propagation from Cenozoic subsidence patterns: Examples from the Dangerous Grounds, South China Sea

et al. 2023

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“…The basins were widened because of the widespread extensional tectonics during the Middle and Late Eocene (Hall, 2002;Hutchison, 2004). The direction of the seafloor spreading significantly changed during the Early Miocene in the South China Sea (~23-16 Ma) (Chang et al, 2022). Regional collision consequently uplifted the sedimentary basins (Hutchison, 2004;Cullen, 2010).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbonate contourite drifts in the southwest South China Sea: Sedimentary, paleoceanographic and economic implications

et al. 2022

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Contourite drifts are significant sedimentary features and provide clues for the reconstruction of paleoceanography and paleoenvironment. Although they have been increasingly identified in the world’s ocean, shallow-water contourite drifts (< 300 m depth) remain poorly understood and the examples are rare. This study documents a Middle Miocene shallow-water contourite depositional system in the southwest South China Sea by interpreting seismic reflection data and calibrating results with the previous chronological framework. The depositional system consisted of six mounded drifts and six moats. The contourite features were generated in seismic unit III (16-10.5 Ma) and distributed adjacent to carbonate reefs. They were formed on the proto-continental shelf (50-200 m depth) and shaped by the wind-driven currents. Changes in the sedimentary stacking patterns suggest three evolutionary stages of the contourite features. Stage I represents the growth of the Middle Miocene contourite depositional system between 16 and 10.5 Ma. Stage II marks the termination of carbonate drifts and the burial of the Late Miocene sedimentation during 10.5-5.3 Ma. Stage III started with the development of modern deep-water sedimentary systems since 5.3 Ma. The contourite features are compared with the examples on other South China Sea margins. Significant changes in the paleoceanography occurred at 10.5 Ma and 6.5-5.3 Ma when the dominated bottom currents shifted from the monsoonal wind-driven currents to the North Pacific waters, and then the modern circulation system. The Middle Miocene mounded drifts were likely sourced by the coarse-grained carbonate sands. Fluid flow escaped from the coarse-grained contourite layers and natural gas leakage occurs on the seafloor. Shallow-water carbonate contourite drifts can be served as a good gas reservoir and have great economic potential.

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“…The idea that a correlation exists between the SCS opening and the PSCS closure is not new but lacks solid evidence. Several unconformities in the SCS [6,13,19] may be correlated with Borneo and Palawan changes in sedimentation styles. Recently, a detailed review of these events was presented [19], which concludes with the following evolution.…”

Section: The Genetic Correlation Between the Pscs And The Scsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several unconformities in the SCS [6,13,19] may be correlated with Borneo and Palawan changes in sedimentation styles. Recently, a detailed review of these events was presented [19], which concludes with the following evolution. The rifting of the SCS started early in the Latest Cretaceous and the Paleocene, and the PSCS was located south of the stretching area.…”

Section: The Genetic Correlation Between the Pscs And The Scsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It opened along the rim of a composite microcontinent surrounded by a Mesozoic volcanic arc [14,15] (Figure 1), and its structural evolution is linked with that of the adjacent basins [16,17]. The SCS offers the opportunity to observe the stretching and thinning of a continental margin occurring during the shortening of an older one, the Proto South China Sea (PSCS), which has nowadays been entirely consumed [18,19]. This dual system is nowadays fossilized after the cessation of its spreading in the Mid-Miocene.…”

Section: Introduction; the Marginal Basins Of Se Asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Key Structural Elements around the East Vietnam Sea (South China Sea) and implications on reconstructions: towards a clarification

Pubellier

Sautter²

2022

VJMST

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The East Vietnam Sea (EVS) or the South China Sea (SCS in this paper) is one of the best-studied basins in the world and one of the largest marginal basins. If the mechanisms of rifting and spreading are well documented and invoke many specific aspects of structure and evolution, it has nevertheless been highly controversial in terms of its relationships with the neighboring basins; some of which have partly or entirely disappeared. This paper recapitulates the critical structural elements, such as the localization of magmatic activity and rifted basins from the Cretaceous to the Present, to evaluate the arguments for the reconstructions. We begin with the location of the Cretaceous magmatic arc along the Vietnam and China margins to discuss the setting and timing of the subduction of an oceanic domain which is unlikely to be the Proto South China Sea (PSCS) itself. This evolution raises the question of the existence and modalities of docking of the Argo and Luconia blocks and requires an intensive stretching of this early docked continental basement before seafloor spreading in the PSCS and the Celebes Sea from the end of Cretaceous to the Oligocene. The SCS was the latest basin to open within the continental margin and is believed to have developed within the downgoing plate. The crustal blocks separated by rifting and sea-floor spreading were later shortened from the Early Miocene to the Present, leaving the appearance of a complex tectonic system. This exercise indicates simple solutions which had not been stated previously, such as the possible connection between the Tethys Ocean and an oceanic domain between the PSCS and the coastal regions of China and Vietnam. The PSCS developed later toward the South, probably in a back-arc position, and the EVS opened amid this system intrinsically linked to the subduction of the PSCS.

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Crustal architecture and evolution of the southwestern South China Sea: Implications to continental breakup

Cited by 11 publications

References 110 publications

Unravelling rift propagation from Cenozoic subsidence patterns: Examples from the Dangerous Grounds, South China Sea

Unravelling rift propagation from Cenozoic subsidence patterns: Examples from the Dangerous Grounds, South China Sea

Carbonate contourite drifts in the southwest South China Sea: Sedimentary, paleoceanographic and economic implications

Key Structural Elements around the East Vietnam Sea (South China Sea) and implications on reconstructions: towards a clarification

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