Stephan Mueller Spec. Publ. Ser., 4, 11–33, 2009 www.stephan-mueller-spec-publ-ser.net/4/11/2009/ Special © Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed under Publication the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Series Summary of Northeast Asia geodynamics and tectonics∗ L. M. Parfenov1,†, G. Badarch2, N. A. Berzin3, A. I. Khanchuk4, M. I. Kuzmin5, W. J. Nokleberg6, A. V. Prokopiev1, M. Ogasawara7, and H. Yan8 1Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia 2Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 3Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia 4Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia 5Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia 6US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, USA 7Geological Survey of Japan/AIST, Tsukuba, Japan 8Jilin University, Changchun, China †deceased ∗Prepared in memory of Leonid M. Parfenov, the leader of the geodynamics map team for the International collaborative project on NE Asia tectonics and metallogenesis. Abstract. The compilation, synthesis, description, and inter- Northeast Asia project area consists of Eastern Russia (East- pretation of regional geology and tectonics of major regions, ern Siberia and the Russian Far East), Mongolia, Northern such as Northeast Asia (Eastern Russia, Mongolia, Northern China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and adjacent offshore China, South Korea, and Japan) and the Circum-North Pa- areas (Fig. 1). cific (the Russian Far East, Alaska, and Canadian Cordillera), The summary of regional geodynamics and tectonics in requires a complex methodology that includes: (1) defini- this article is based upon publications of a major interna- tions of key terms; (2) compilation of a regional geodynam- tional collaborative study of the metallogenesis and tectonics ics map that can be constructed according to modern tectonic of Northeast Asia and of the Circum-North Pacific, which concepts and definitions; and (3) formulation of a compre- were led by W. J. Nokleberg of the the US Geological Sur- hensive tectonic model. This article presents a summary of vey. Two broad types of publications have been produced by the regional dynamics and tectonics of Northeast Asia as de- this collaboration. One type is a series of regional geologic, veloped for a new summary geodynamics map of the region. mineral deposit, and metallogenic belt maps and companion This article also describes how a high-quality summary geo- descriptions for the region (Greninger et al., 1999; Obolen- dynamics map and companion tectonic analysis substantially skiy et al., 2003a, b, 2004; Parfenov et al., 2003, 2004a, b; aids in the understanding of the origin of major rock units, Nokleberg et al., 1994, 1997a, b, c, 1998, 2004; Rodionov et major structures, and contained mineral and fuel resources, al., 2004; and Naumova et al., 2006). The other type is a suite and provides important guidelines for new research. of metallogenic and tectonic analyses of these same regions (Nokleberg et al., 2000, 2005; Rodionov et al., 2004). 1 Introduction 2 Definitions, geologic time scale, and tectonic This article presents an overview of the regional geodynam- environments ics and tectonics of Northeast Asia as presented in a new summary geodynamics map of the region, and also pro- In order to illustrate the regional geology of a large region vides a general introduction for readers who are unfamil- most clearly in a page-size format, Fig. 2 utilizes the concept iar with Northeast Asia. For this analysis, the region of of tectonic collages (see definition, Table 1). This definition of tectonic collage enables: (1) a readily-understood concep- tual framework for understanding the geology and tectonics Correspondence to: A. V. Prokopiev of large regions; (2) the depiction at small scales of major ([email protected]) geologic units and structures that formed in a single tectonic Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 12 L. M. Parfenov et al.: Summary of Northeast Asia geodynamics and tectonics 82 80 76 72 68 64 82 a e S a 80 n e a S ri e g b n 60 i i r S t e s 174 K a a B 76 ar Se E al ptev Sea La a k 180 t 72 o k u h C 174 68 56 K 64 a m 168 a a c i t i MAGADAN h u k r a a Y e t 60 k 52 b a i YAKUTSK S PETROPAVLOVSK 1 6 2 R U S S I A f 56 a o R Se tsk o u kh O s d NOVOSIBIRSK s 48 n s a l 75 i s a I 52 S o u t h e a s t e r n e n l i 156 r S i b e r i a a n d u F 78 K T r a n s b a i k a l i a a r 44 Lake IRKUTSK Baikal K HABAROVSK 84 E n a Ulaangom U L A N U D E 48 Hatgal AST a e E c TH NOR s INA O H C t c 40 ULAANBAATAR i f i 150 c M O N G O L I A Khanka a 90 P CHANGCHUN NORTHWEST VLADIVOSTOK CHINA 36 C H I N A 96 N TSUKUBA KOREAN A P 40 NORTH-CENTRAL PENINSULA TOKYO CHINA SEOUL A BEIJING J 32 102 0 500 1000 Km TAEJON 144 108 114 120 International boundaries for onshore area are approximate and do not indicate 138 endorsement by participating countries. 126 132 Fig. 1. Regional summary geographic map for Northeast Asia showing major regions and countries. Figure 1 event; and (3) the understanding of the origins of major min- For a modern geologic analysis, the classification into tec- eral and hydrocarbon deposits related to the formations and tonic environments is essential for determining the geologic modification of tectonic collages. origins of major units and contained mineral and hydrocar- Definitions of other key terms for the analysis of regional bon resources. This permits the interpretations of origin geology and tectonics are provided in Table 1. These def- of both host rocks and associated resources. For the tec- initions are adapted from Howell et al. (1985), Jones et tonic analyses of Northeast Asia and the Circum-North Pa- al. (1983), and Nokleberg et al. (2000, 2005). Geologic time cific (Nokleberg et al., 1997b, c, 2000, 2005; Scotese et scale units are according to the IUGS Global Stratigraphic al., 2001; Obolenskiy et al., 2003; Parfenov et al., 2003, Chart (Remane, 1998). For this study and in some of the 2004a, b), the major geologic units (terranes, overlap as- cited publications, the term Riphean is used for the Mesopro- semblages, plates), mineral deposits, mineral deposit types, terozoic to Middle Neoproterozoic (1600 to 650 Ma), and the and metallogenic belts, are classified into the following tec- term Vendian is used for Neoproterozoic III (650 to 540 Ma). tonic environments (Table 1): (1) cratonal and craton margin; Stephan Mueller Spec. Publ. Ser., 4, 11–33, 2009 www.stephan-mueller-spec-publ-ser.net/4/11/2009/ L. M. Parfenov et al.: Summary of Northeast Asia geodynamics and tectonics 13 Bering Sea oc East-Siberian Sea KR KOR CS Laptev Sea SA CH PA ST oc WK nb, ol VK KOM OK uy, ma VR tr VK OK EP OH PA sv CS oc NAC WK EA WS JT Sea of Okhotsk OK Kuril- YT BP Kamchatka kk Pacific Arc Ocean us AL CS MO HS at ss Lake MO ES Baikal se AL ss YT uo ko SH nr BD YT ss ea se AR tr SM AL ES MO at YT ha, HS TM mt SH YT BJ P A C I F I C se gh BJ MO ji HS P L A T E sm AR tr SM AB lg sm BJ SL WD BJ AB HS SL GY ja JT nm GY BJ SKC GY SL JA ib ES 1000 2000 KM HS NN 0 ja Symbols, Faults, and Contacts Overlap continental margin arc Contact Transform continental margin arc Fault Active subduction zone Oceanic rift Thrust Riphean aulacogene Strike - slip fault Devonian aulacogene (a) Fig. 2a. Northeast Asia summary geodynamics map. Map is derived from: (1) a generalized Northeast Asia geodynamicsFigure map 2 at - Map 10 million scale (Parfenov et al., 2004); (2) a more detailed Northeast Asia geodynamics map at 5 million scale (Parfenov et al., 2003); and (3) the western part of a Circum-North Pacific tectono-stratigraphic terrane map at 10 million scale (Nokleberg et al., 1997). Map shows locations major geologic and tectonic units including cratons, craton margins; cratonal terranes and superterranes; tectonic collages; overlap and transform continental-margin arcs; island arcs, and sea and ocean units. (a) Map. (b) Explanation. Refer to Appendix for descriptions of map units. www.stephan-mueller-spec-publ-ser.net/4/11/2009/ Stephan Mueller Spec. Publ. Ser., 4, 11–33, 2009 14 L. M. Parfenov et al.: Summary of Northeast Asia geodynamics and tectonics EXPLANATION Cratons and Craton Margins Cratonal Terranes and Superterranes NAC - North Asian Craton (Archean and Cratonal Terranes (Archean and Proterozoic);SKC - Sino-Korean Craton Proterozoic): GY - Gyeonggi-Yeongnam; (Archean and Proterozoic) JA - Jiaonan; OH - Okhotsk Craton Margin: BP - Baikal-Patom Late Proterozoic to Cambrian Supterterranes; (Riphean to Cambrian and older basement; AR - Argun-Idermeg; TM - Tuva-Mongolia EA - East Angara (Riphean and older basement; ST - South Taimyr (Ordovician to Jurassic); VR - Verkhoyansk (Devonian to Archean to Permian Superterranes: Jurassic). BJ - Bureya-Jiamusi; KR - Kara Tectonic Collages Between North Asian and Sino-Korean Cratons (older to younger) Jurassic Superterrane: KOM - Kolyma-Omolon (Archean to Jurassic) CS - Circum-Siberia (Proterozoic) Sea and Ocean Units YT - Yenisey-Transbaikal (Vendian Surficial units to Early Ordovician) AL - Altay (Vendian to Ordovician) Oceanic crust WD - Wundurmiao (Riphean to Ordovician) AB - Atasbogd (Ordovician through Permian); Overlap Continental Margin Arcs and Granite Belts SM - South Mongolia-Khingan (Ordovician to Carboniferous); WS - West Siberian at - Altay arc (Devonian and early Carboniferous, 381-290 Ma)) (Ordovician to Carboniferous) ea - East Sikhote-Alin arc (Late Cretaceous to early MO - Mongol-Ohkotsk (Devonian to Tertiary, 96-65 to Ma) Late Jurassic); SL - Solon (Carboniferous gh - Gobi-Khankaisk-Daxing'anling arc (Permian,