The Early Triassic Deformation and Metamorphism in the Zhoushan Area and Its Implication for the Evolution of South China

ABSTRACT The tectonic framework and evolution of the South China continent from the Neoproterozoic to the Mesozoic have long been controversial. The Zhoushan area in Zhejiang Province, to the northeastern part of South China, preserves a clear geological record of the Late Permian–Early Triassic period and is an ideal region for deciphering the Mesozoic deformation structures of South China and establishing a chronological framework for deformation. Our structural data with mapping observations recognised southwest‐over‐northeast dip‐slip sinistral transpression and NE‐trending sinistral transpression in the Zhoushan area. The zircon U–Pb age, Lu–Hf data and Ti‐in‐zircon temperature data indicate that the two stages of metamorphism and deformation in the Zhoushan area belong to distinct metamorphic events and deformation systems but were roughly coeval within analytical uncertainty at 252–249 Ma. The metamorphic and magmatic events are interpreted to result from the synchronous activity of the Paleo‐Tethyan systems to both northern and southern South China and a NE‐trending sinistral strike‐slip amalgamation system to southeastern South China.