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The West Siberian Basin (WSB) is one of the largest intracratonic Meso-Cenozoic basins in the world. Its evolution has been studied over the recent decades, however, some fundamental questions regarding the tectonic evolution of the WSB remain unresolved or unconfirmed by analytical data. A complete understanding of the evolution of the WSB during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras requires insights into the cooling history of the basement rocks as determined by low-temperature thermochronometry. We presented an apatite fission track (AFT) thermochronology study on the exposed parts of the WSB basement in order to distinguish tectonic activation episodes in an absolute timeframe. AFT dating of thirteen basement samples mainly yielded Cretaceous cooling ages and mean track lengths varied between 12.8 and 14.5 μm. Thermal history modeling based on the AFT data demonstrates several Mesozoic and Cenozoic intracontinental tectonic reactivation episodes affected the WSB basement. We interpreted the episodes of tectonic activity accompanied by the WSB basement exhumation as a far-field effect from tectonic processes acting on the southern and eastern boundaries of Eurasia during the Mesozoic–Cenozoic eras.

In this study, we present zircon U/Pb, plagioclase and K-feldspar 40Ar/39Ar and apatite fission track (AFT) data along the South Tannuol Fault Zone (STFZ). Integrating geochronology and multi-method thermochronology places constraints on the formation and subsequent reactivation of the STFZ. Cambrian (~510 Ma) zircon U/Pb ages obtained for felsic volcanic rocks date the final stage of STFZ basement formation. Ordovician (~460&ndash, 450 Ma) zircon U/Pb ages were obtained for felsic rocks along the structure, dating their emplacement and marking post-formational local magmatic activity along the STFZ. 40Ar/39Ar stepwise heating plateau-ages (~410&ndash, 400 Ma, ~365 and ~340 Ma) reveal Early Devonian and Late Devonian&ndash, Mississippian intrusion and/or post-magmatic cooling episodes of mafic rocks in the basement. Permian (~290 Ma) zircon U/Pb age of mafic rocks documents for the first time Permian magmatism in the study area creating prerequisites for revising the spread of Permian large igneous provinces of Central Asia. The AFT dating and Thermal history modeling based on the AFT data reveals two intracontinental tectonic reactivation episodes of the STFZ: (1) a period of Cretaceous&ndash, Eocene (~100&ndash, 40 Ma) reactivation and (2) the late Neogene (from ~10 Ma onwards) impulse after a period of tectonic stability during the Eocene&ndash, Miocene (~40&ndash, 10 Ma).