The Upper Proterozoic-Paleozoic records of sedimentary sequences and detrital zircon geochronology in Korean Peninsula and North China: Implications for tectonic attributes and division

Based on genetic analysis and correlation of stratigraphic frameworks, depositional sequences and detrital zircon chronological records, the paper further explored the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic tectonic attributes and evolutional informations of Sino-Korean blocks. For the Pyeongnam and Tabeaksan basins, Korean Peninsula, and interior of North China block, their stratigraphic frameworks and depositional sequences are mainly characterized by the Cambrian-Ordovician inner continental shelf carbonate deposition, Silurian-Devonian non-deposition and middle-upper Carboniferous-Permian littoral coal-bearing deposition, in which the comparable age peaks of detrital zircons, including 1.85 Ga, 2.5 Ga, 1.15 Ga and 1.6 Ga, occur in the most sandstone samples of the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic strata. However, for the Imjingang and Okcheon belts, Korean Peninsula, and southeast margin of North China block, their stratigraphic units are mainly composed by the Devonian-Carboniferous mudstones/schists, intermediate basic volcanics and pyroclastic rocks, generally characterized by depositional environments of outer continental shelf, with the comparably minimum age peaks close to the stratigraphic time ranges, also reflecting strong tectonic-magmatic activities during sedimentary stages. Therefore, it is presented that Korean Peninsula and North China are both belong to the first-order tectonic unit, that is, Sino-Korean Plate. However, due to southwestern Korean Peninsula and southeastern North China near to the plate margin, unstable/active tectonic regions, their stratigraphic-depositional records are obviously different those in the plate interior, indicating no identical stratigraphic-depositional model between them.