Project 3.2

Theme 3: Global Palaeogeography and Geodynamics

Theme Co-leaders: Dietmar Müller (Australia), Hanlin Chen (China)

Project 3.2

3.2.1 Title: East Asian Continental Margin and Subduction Retreat

3.2.2 Leader(s) from different ACTER partner institutions:

3.2.3 Project description:

The West Pacific is characterized by a unique and complete trench-arc-basin system with the deepest trench. In this project we aim to understand the formation and evolution history of the West Pacific system, its basic architecture, modification of the continental margin by the subduction process, and the dynamic driving mechanism.

3.2.4 Participants (including research students):

  • Dr. Xin Liu (Ocean University of China) – Tomography of subduction zones in West Pacific
  • Dr. Yanhui Suo (Ocean University of China) – Tectonic migration of the East Asian Continental Margin
  • Dr. Liming Dai (Ocean University of China) – Numerical modeling of Seamounts in West Pacific
  • Dr. Lingli Guo (Ocean University of China) – Geohazards in the Ocean-Continent Transition Zone
  • Xianzhi Cao (Ocean University of China, Ph.D. candidate) – Post-Mesozoic topographic evolution of East Asia
  • Zhen Zhang (Ocean University of China, Ph.D. candidate) – Subduction along the Mariana Trench
  • Qian Wang (Ocean University of China, Ph.D. candidate) – Physical modeling of strike-slip faulting and inversion tectonics
  • Xiangchao Kong (Ocean University of China, Ph.D. candidate) – Earthquakes along the subduction zones of West Pacific
  • Yong Zhang (Ocean University of China, Msc. candidate) – Transform faults in back-arc basins
  • Mengying Hu (Ocean University of China, Msc. candidate) – Numerical modeling of Seamounts in West Pacific

3.2.5 Relevant publications: 

  • Bai, Y., Wu, S., Liu, Z., Müller, R.D., Williams, S.E., Zahirovic, S., Dong, D., 2015. Full-fit reconstruction of the South China Sea conjugate margins. Tectonophysics 661, 121-135.
  • Butterworth, N. P., Müller, R.D., Quevedo, L., O’Connor, J., Hoernle, K., Morra, G., 2014. Pacific Plate slab pull and intraplate deformation in the early Cenozoic. Solid Earth 5, 757–777.
  • Hassan, R., Müller, R.D., Gurnis, M., Williams, S.E., Flament, N., 2016. A rapid burst in hotspot motion through the interaction of tectonics and deep mantle flow. Nature 533, 239-242.
  • Kong, X.C., Li, S.Z., Dai, L.M., Suo, Y.H., 2016. The relationship between heat fluxes and geomorphology of ocean floor in the Western Pacific region. Geological Journal, in press.
  • Li, S., Geldmacher, J., Hauff, F., Garbe-Schönberg, D., Yu, S., Zhao, S., Rausch, S., 2014. Composition and timing of carbonate vein precipitation within the igneous basement of the Early Cretaceous Shatsky Rise, NW Pacific. Marine Geology 357, 321-333.
  • Li, S., Santosh, M., Zhao, G., Zhang, G., Jin, C., 2012. Intracontinental deformation in a frontier of super-convergence: A perspective on the tectonic milieu of the South China Block. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 49, 311-327.
  • Li, Z.X., Li, X.H., Chung, S.-L., Lo, C.-H., Xu, X., Li, W.X., 2012. Magmatic switch-on and switch-off along the South China continental margin since the Permian: Transition from an Andean-type to a Western Pacific-type plate boundary. Tectonophysics 532-535, 271-290, 2012.
  • Liu, B., Li, S.Z., Suo, Y.H., Li, G.X., Dai, L.M., Somerville, I.D., Guo, L.L., Zhao, S.J., Yu, S., 2016. The geological nature and geodynamics of the Okinawa Trough, Western Pacific. Geological Journal, in press, doi: 10.1002/gj.2774.
  • Müller, R. D, Seton, M., Zahirovic, S., Williams, S.E., Matthews, K.J., Wright, N.M., Shephard, G.E., Maloney, K.Y., Barnett-Moore, N., Hosseinpour, M., Bower, D.J., Cannon, J., 2016. Ocean basin evolution and global-scale plate reorganization events since Pangea breakup. Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Science 44, 107-138.
  • O’Connor, J., Hoernle, K., Butterworth, N., Müller, R.D., Hauff, F., Sandwell, D., Morgan, J., Jokat, W., Wijbrans, J., Stoffers, P., 2015. Deformation-related volcanism links the Hawaiian Bend to slab subduction and mantle flow. Nature Geoscience 8, 393-397.
  • Seton, M., Flament, N., Whittaker, J Müller, R.D., Bower, D., Gurnis, M., 2015. Ridge subduction sparked reorganisation of the plate-mantle system 55-45 million years ago. Geophysical Research Letters 42, 1-9.
  • Suo, Y.H., Li, S.Z., Zhao, S.J., Somerville, I.D., Yu, S., Dai, L.M., Xu, L.Q., Cao, X.Z., Wang, P.C., 2015. Continental Margin Basins in East Asia: Tectonic Implication of the Meso-Cenozoic East China Sea Pull-apart Basins. Geological Journal 50, 139–156.
  • Wang, P., Li, S.Z., Guo, L.L., Dai, L.M., Suo, Y.H., Zhao, S.J., Yu, S., 2016. Mesozoic and Cenozoic accretionary orogenic processes and mechanism in the Kalimantan. Geological Journal, in press.
  • Wright, N., Müller, R.D., Seton, M., Williams, S.E., 2015. Revision of Paleogene plate motions in the Pacific and implications for the Hawaii- Emperor Bend. Geology 43, 455-458.
  • Zahirovic, S., Seton, M. and Müller, R.D., 2014. The Cretaceous and Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Southeast Asia. Solid Earth 5, 227-273.
  • Zhang, G.H., Li, S.Z., Zhang, J.P., Suo, Y.H., 2016. Tectonic inversion and genetic mechanism in the East China Sea Shelf Basin, China. Geological Journal, in press.
  • Zhang, J.P., Li, S.Z., Zhang, G.H., Suo, Y.H., 2016. The Basin Type and geodynamic Environment, the East China Sea Shelf Basin. Geological Journal, in press.
  • Zhang, Y., Li, S.Z., Suo, Y.H., Yu, S., Somerville, I.D., Hui, G.G., Zheng, Q.L., Zang, Y.B., 2016. Tectonic reconstruction of the Western Pacific region since the Early Jurassic. Geological Journal, in press.