Accretion kinematics and driving mechanism of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Insights from seismic tomography and middle Permian–Middle Triassic magmatism in central Jilin Province

Abstract The amalgamation of accretionary terranes plays an important role in the evolution of ancient accretionary orogens, but the kinematic process and its driving mechanism are commonly ambiguous. Here we provide new constraints on the accretion kinematics and associated driving mechanism of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), using seismic tomography and magmatism. Permian to Middle Triassic magmatism was linked to two distinct accretionary orogens, that existed along the northern margin of the North China Craton. The geochemistry of middle Permian to Middle Triassic igneous rocks indicates a magmatic arc origin at an active continental margin. Based on the horizontal zoning of magmatism and south-dipping stagnant oceanic slab imaged by seismic tomography, we conclude that southward subduction of the oceanic slab resulted in the accretion and collision of multiple arc systems along the continental margin. Our seismic tomographic models indicate that formation and growth of the eastern CAOB occurred as the result of the continuous accretion and amalgamation of arc assemblages with addition of crustal material. Tomographic models and previous Re-Os geochronological studies indicate the existence of a deep crustal root and ancient sub-continental lithospheric mantle in most regions of the eastern CAOB. Taking into account the magmatic evolution and sedimentary sequences, we conclude that the terrane accretion should be the driving mechanism of accretionary orogenesis in the eastern CAOB.