Gondwanaland dispersion, Asian accretion and evolution of eastern Tethys∗

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Abstract
Most east and southeast Asian continental blocks, comprising North and South China, Indochina (including the Qamdo‐Simao Block), Tarim (including the Kunlun and Ala Shan Terranes), Qaidam, Sibumasu, Qiangtang, Lhasa, Kurosegawa, Northwest and Southeast Hainan, West Burma and Woyla Terranes, had their origins on the northern margin of Gondwanaland. Phanerozoic evolution of eastern Gondwanaland and Tethys involved the successive rifting and separation of three continental slivers (now recognised as collages of terranes) from northern Gondwanaland, their northwards drift, and amalgamation/accretion to form east and southeast Asia. These continental slivers separated from the margin of Gondwanaland in the Late Devonian (North China, South China, Indochina, Qaidam, Tarim and Hainan Island Terranes), Early‐mid‐Permian (the Cimmerian continent including the Sibumasu and Qiangtang Terranes), and Late Triassic‐Late Jurassic (Lhasa, West Burma and Woyla Terranes). The northwards drift of these terranes was accompanied by the opening and closing of three successive oceans, the Palaeo‐Tethys, Meso‐Tethys and Ceno‐Tethys. Assembly of Gondwanaland‐derived Asian terrenes began with the amalgamation of South China and Indochina during the Early Carboniferous along the Song Ma Suture to form ‘Cathaysialand’. Cathaysialand and North China formed large continental regions at low northern/equatorial latitudes within the Palaeo‐Tethys during the Late Carboniferous and Permian. The Tarim, Kunlun, Qaidam and Ala Shan Terranes accreted to Kazakstan/Siberia in the Permian. Separation and northward drifting of the Cimmerian continent from northeast Gondwanaland in the late Early Permian was accompanied by the opening of the Meso‐Tethys. This was followed by the suturing of Sibumasu and Qiangtang to Cathaysialand in the Late Permian‐Early Triassic, largely closing the Palaeo‐Tethys. North and South China amalgamated in the Permian‐Triassic and accreted to Laurasia in the Late Triassic‐Early Jurassic. The Lhasa, West Burma and Woyla Terranes separated from northwest Australian Gondwanaland during the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous as the Ceno‐Tethys opened and the Meso‐Tethys was destroyed by subduction beneath Eurasia. These terranes accreted to proto‐southeast Asia in the Early to Late Cretaceous.