Kinematic models for the opening of the South China Sea: An upwelling divergent flow origin

Lin, Chen; Hu, Jiwei; Yang, Dinghui; Song, Haibin; Wang, Zhenhua

doi:10.1016/j.jog.2017.03.002

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…The U‐Pb age spectra of the detrital zircon grains in the Shihmen Conglomerate exhibit a peak between 20 and 25 Ma (Tsai & Shyu, ). All of these geochronological results are consistent with the zircon U‐Pb ages of the N‐MORB‐type samples obtained in this study, and all of them correlate to the seafloor spreading period of the SCS (33–15 Ma; Briais et al, ; L. Chen et al, ; Hernandez Almeida, ; X. H. Li et al, ; Taylor & Hayes, ). The N‐MORB‐type samples have similar geochemical compositions as the N‐MORBs drilled from the SCS.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Accreted Mafic Rocks From the Hengchun Peninsula, Southern Taiwan: Origin and Tectonic Implications

et al. 2019

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The accretionary prism of the Hengchun Peninsula at the southernmost tip of the active Taiwan orogen has newly emerged due to the transition from a subduction zone to an arc‐continent collision zone. The mafic rocks within the Hengchun accretionary prism, whose provenance has long been controversial, are highly indicative of the mantle nature and tectonic evolution around the northern Manila Trench. Based on geochemical analyses, the accreted basalts are classified as normal and enriched mid‐ocean ridge basalts (N‐MORB and E‐MORB) and alkaline ocean island basalts. The N‐MORBs, which exhibit geochemical signatures indicative of virtually unmetasomatized depleted MORB mantle and yield zircon U‐Pb ages of 22.8 ± 0.3 and 24.2 ± 1.1 Ma, were off‐scraped from the subducted oceanic crust of the South China Sea (SCS). The alkaline ocean island basalts are considered fragments of subducted seamount due to their geochemical similarity with seamount basalts from the SCS. The Hf‐Nd isotopic compositions of basalts from the north SCS may represent the contributions of recycled oceanic crust and the upwelling Hainan Plume. The E‐MORBs, which exhibit similar geochemical compositions as rocks from the Huatung Basin and yield an 40Ar/39Ar age of 135.0 ± 5.6 Ma, were removed from the overriding plate due to the excessive shear stress between the converging plates and were laterally transported by strike‐slip movement; alternatively, they were off‐scraped from the subducted Luzon forearc slices. The temporary uplift and collapse of the accretionary prism caused by seamount subduction may have been responsible for the genesis of the lenticular Shihmen Conglomerate.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Accreted Mafic Rocks From the Hengchun Peninsula, Southern Taiwan: Origin and Tectonic Implications

et al. 2019

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“…The rifted margin also exhibits a broad zone of highly extended continental crust that varies in widths (Contrucci et al, 2004;Lau et al, 2006). It is generally accepted that the initial effective lithospheric strength (particularly the lower crustal rheology) and divergent rate determine the width and duration of continental rifting (e.g., Brune et al, 2017;Burov & Watts, 2006;Chen et al, 2017;Gueydan & Précigout, 2014;Liao & Gerya, 2015;Pérez-Gussinyé et al, 2003). By performing three-dimensional numerical simulations, Le Pourhiet et al (2018) have further suggested that oceanic propagators play an equal or even greater role in the width of the rifted margin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low‐Viscosity Crustal Layer Controls the Crustal Architecture and Thermal Distribution at Hyperextended Margins: Modeling Insight and Application to the Northern South China Sea Margin

Sun

Pang

et al. 2019

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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A low‐viscosity crustal layer (LVCL) due to partial melt and/or hydration has been detected within the continental crust (e.g., in South China block), but its role in the development of hyperextended margins is still not entirely understood. Using 2‐D thermomechanical modeling, we simulate the lithospheric extension with a LVCL embedded within the continental crust. Results show that the ductile layer determines the width of highly thinned crust and the crustal thermal distribution. Detailed effects are found by varying the initial effective viscosity and thickness of the layer: (1) a rheologically weaker and/or thicker LVCL accommodates more deformation and thus results in a slow and distributed crustal thinning and (2) preferential removal of the lithospheric mantle places the crust in direct contact with the hot upwelling asthenosphere, promoting the development of highly thinned and hot continental crust. Both the widths of highly thinned crust and the thermal values increase when the rheology of the ductile layer decreases or the thickness increases. Furthermore, we obtain the crustal thickness and geothermal characteristics of the northern South China Sea (SCS) margin using reprocessed geophysical data and newly complied heat flow data. A detailed comparison of our modeling results with the northern SCS margin suggests that variation in the LVCL thickness may be a possible mechanism for the differential width of highly thinned crust and high heat flow zone along strike of the northern SCS margin.

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“…The partial subduction of the SCS along the Manila trench represents the last phase of a near-complete Wilson cycle, following continental rifting, breakup, and seafloor spreading. Based on deep-tow magnetic anomalies, multi-channel seismic data, the results of microfossils from IODP Expeditions and 39 Ar/ 40 Ar data, the SCS has undergone multiphase rifting events since the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (Sun et al, 2009;Franke et al, 2014;Li et al, 2015;Sibuet et al, 2016;Ding et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2020;Zhao et al, 2021), leading to the opening of the SCS basin at ~32-33 Ma, and stopped spreading at ~15 Ma in the east subbasin and ~16 Ma in the southwest subbasin, followed by eastward subduction under the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) along the Manila trench (Li C. F. et al, 2013(Li C. F. et al, , 2015Chen et al, 2017Chen et al, , 2021Jian et al, 2018;Sun et al, 2018;Deng et al, 2020;Hung et al, 2020). Large amounts of magmatism persisted for nearly 10 Ma after the cessation of seafloor spreading and generated the Zhenbei-Huangyan seamount chain (Sibuet et al, 2016;Hung et al, 2020).…”

Section: Geological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bathymetric Highs Control the Along-Strike Variations of the Manila Trench: 2D Numerical Modeling

Chen

Cheng

et al. 2022

Front. Earth Sci.

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The Manila Trench is located at the eastern boundary of the South China Sea (SCS). It develops through the subduction of the SCS beneath the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) since the early Neogene, driven by the northwestern plate motion of the PSP. The northern segment of the Manila trench at around 18° N—21.5°N is characterized by an obvious eastward convex in the trench shape and abrupt changes of slab dip angle, whereas the southern segment of the Manila trench at around 15°N—18°N is featured by an almost straight NS-trending trench line and smooth subducting slab morphology. However, the cause for the along-strike variations along the Manila trench remains poorly understood. In this study, we use 2-D thermo-mechanical modeling to investigate how bathymetric highs embedded in the subducting slab affect the topography of overriding plate and the morphology of subducting plate. Three major factors of bathymetric highs are systematically examined: 1) the crustal properties, 2) the width, and 3) the thickness. Geodynamic results suggest that the most important factor controlling abrupt changes in dipping angle is the crustal properties of bathymetric highs. Also, reduction of crustal thickness and increasing the width of continental bathymetric highs favor the abrupt change of dipping angle, whereas thicker (≥25 km) bathymetric highs are more likely to be blocked in the subduction zone before slab break-off. According to our numerical modeling results, we suggest that dramatic changes in the dip angle in the northern Manila trench and the convex shape were caused by subduction of a large thin continental terrane, whereas the smooth morphology of subducting slab in the southern segment and straight trench were associated with normal oceanic subduction with small seamounts.

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Kinematic models for the opening of the South China Sea: An upwelling divergent flow origin

Cited by 15 publications

References 62 publications

Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Accreted Mafic Rocks From the Hengchun Peninsula, Southern Taiwan: Origin and Tectonic Implications

Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Accreted Mafic Rocks From the Hengchun Peninsula, Southern Taiwan: Origin and Tectonic Implications

Low‐Viscosity Crustal Layer Controls the Crustal Architecture and Thermal Distribution at Hyperextended Margins: Modeling Insight and Application to the Northern South China Sea Margin

Bathymetric Highs Control the Along-Strike Variations of the Manila Trench: 2D Numerical Modeling

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