Formation of the Moping Dome in the Xuefengshan Orocline, Central China and its Tectonic Significance

Abstract:Many equiaxial dome‐like structures developed in the north segment of the Xuefengshan orocline, Central China are obviously inconcordant with the NE‐trending linear structures in this area, which contain important records for understanding the structural framework and evolution of this belt. In this paper, taking one of the typical dome‐like structures in the Xuefengshan orcline (e.g. Moping dome‐like structure) as an example, based on its structural framework interpratatoin, superposed deformation analysis and paleo‐stress fields reconstruction, we propose the Moping dome‐like structure is composed of two populations of different‐striking thrust‐fold structures, ∼E‐trending and NE‐striking structures, indicative of two‐stages shortening, ∼N‐ and NW‐striking, respectively. Together with the geochronological analysis, we suggest the first stage of shortening occurred in Late Triassic to Early Jurassic, due to the Indosinian intercollisional orogeny of the Yangtze Block and the North China Block The second occurred during Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous owing to Yanshanian intracontinental orogeny, leading to the intensive superposition of the NE‐trending structures onto the ∼E‐trending structures, and the final ocurrence of the Moping dome. Thus, our study indicates the Xuefengshan arc‐shape belt also experienced two‐phase deformation, and resulted from the superposition of NE–SW structures onto ∼E–W structures in Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, which could provide new structural evidence for probing the Mesozoic tectonic framework and evolution of the Xuefengshan orocline.