Advances in Earth Science ›› 2009, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (12): 1339-1351. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2009.12.1339

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Opening of the South China Sea and its implications for Southeast Asian tectonics since the late Mesozoic

LI Chunfeng 1, WANG Pinxian 1, Dieter Franke 2, LI Jiabiao 3, Randell Stephenson 4,XU Shukun 5, Peter Michael 6, ZHOU Zuyi 1, JIAN Zhimin 1, LI Qianyu 1,LIU Zhifei 1, GENG Jianhua 1, Gaku Kimura 7, YAN Pin 8, QIU Xuelin 8,WANG Liaoliang 9, XIE Xinong 10, WU Shiguo 11, WU Nengyou 12   

  1. 1.Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China;
    2.Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources,Hannover D-30655, Germany;
    3.Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Guangzhou310012, China;
    4.University of Aberdeen,Aberdeen AB24 3FX, Scotland;
    5.Taiwan Central University, Taoyuan32001, Taiwan China;
    6.University of Tulsa, Tulsa74104, USA;
    7.The University of Tokyo,Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan;
    8.South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Guangzhou510301, China;
    9.Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources,Guangzhou510075, China;
    10.China University of Geosciences, Wuhan430074, China;
    11.Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao266071, China; 
    12.Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Guangzhou510640, China
  • Received:2009-12-16 Revised:2009-12-17 Online:2009-12-10 Published:2009-12-17
  • Contact: LI Chun-Feng E-mail:cfl@tongji.edu.cn

LI Chunfeng, WANG Pinxian, Dieter Franke, LI Jiabiao, Randell Stephenson,et al. Opening of the South China Sea and its implications for Southeast Asian tectonics since the late Mesozoic[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2009, 24(12): 1339-1351.

The opening of the South China Sea (SCS) reveals complex patterns of continental margin break-up and basin formation. Despite extensive studies in the area, accurate dating on basement rocks and overlying sediments in the deep basin is currently lacking. This leaves a large margin of error in estimated opening ages and renders various hypotheses regarding its opening mechanism and history untested. Further, only with an accurate account on the opening of the SCS can we better understand the formations of western Pacific marginal sea basins, as well as the possible roles it played in accommodating the southeast extrusion of the Indochina block due to the collision between the India plate and the Eurasian plate and the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. 

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