Geology and tectonic evolution of Kazakhstan Paleozoides

subject of investigations.Based on the integrated new data on the age of some stratigraphic units and rocks of ophiolitic association, the authors try to clarify or revise the existing geodynamic structures and show the key stages in the development of the main paleostructures in Kazakhstan. Materials and methods. The work is based on the geological research performed by the authors for many years, including government-funded geomapping, tectonic zoning, paleoreconstruction, and integration of recent literature data. results. Main sedimentary, volcanogenic, volcanogenic-sedimentary, and intrusive complexes originating in the western part of the Central Asian fold belt (Paleozoic Kazakhstan) in place of various structures differing in their geodynamic environment and tectonic history throughout the Proterozoic and entire Paleozoic are described. Epigrenville microcontinent disintegrated into individual massifs, rift depressions, basins with oceanic crust, island arcs and island arc systems, the Epicaledonian continent, continental depressions, regional volcano-plutonic belts, and marginal basins were identified. The tectonic zonality of Kazakhstan is diagrammed, the structure of the Precambrian Ulutau massif is mapped, and the distribution of the Devonian complexes and the Late Paleozoic complexes of Kazakhstan is schemed. Conclusions. The existing concepts and tectonic consecution on the territory of Kazakhstan are refined and partially revised. On the basis of paleoreconstructions, the key stages in the development of main paleostructures are established; the features of the geological evolution of the paleozoids of Kazakhstan and their relationship with tectonic processes in the Central Asian fold belt are found. It is shown that the formation of the modern structure of Kazakhstan’s paleozoids took place over a long period and in many stages for almost 900 Ma. © 2019. All rights reserved.