Zhongnan-Liyue Fault Zone Developed at Continental Margins of the South China Sea and Tectonic Movements
Qiu Yan
Nie Xin
Yan Pin
Huang Wenkai
Du Wenbo
Ju Dong
Abstract：Whether a strike-slip fault zone of S-N trend developed in the centre South China Sea(SCS)has been focused by geologists who study tectonic evolution,but no any conclusion due to lack of data.The difficult issue has been resolved in this paper by studying the distribution of residual Mesozoic strata and interpreting new geological and geophysics data in the SCS.Zhongnan-Liyue(ZL)fault zone,a strike-slip fault zone with S-N trend,developed at both southern and northern continental margins and the initial time of its activity was at least in Mesozoic.Before sea-floor spreading of the SCS,this strike-slip fault zone attains about 700 km at southern and northern continental margins.In different geological times this fault zone was of different characteristics of tectonic movement,that was strike slip of left-rotation in Mesozoic,strike slip and extension in Early-Middle Paleogene,in order to strike slip in Late Paleogene and Early Neogene,last one strike slip accompanying pressure function in Middle-Late Neogene.
Keywords：Zhongnan-Liyue fault zoneresidual Mesozoic stratastrike-slip fault with S-N trendtectonic movementeast of continental margin of the SCSmarine geology
Publication Date：2024-10-15
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：17( 3471-3487 )