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The location of the West African craton (WAC) has been poorly constrained in the Paleoproterozoic–Mesoproterozoic supercontinent Nuna (also known as Columbia). Previous Nuna reconstruction models suggested that the WAC was connected to Amazonia in a way similar to their relative position in Gondwana. By an integrated paleomagnetic and geochronological study of the Proterozoic mafic dikes in the Anti-Atlas Belt, Morocco, we provide two reliable paleomagnetic poles to test this connection. Incorporating our new poles with quality-filtered poles from the neighboring cratons of the WAC, we propose an inverted WAC-Amazonia connection, with the northern WAC attached to northeastern Amazonia, as well as a refined configuration of Nuna. Global large igneous province records also conform to our new reconstruction. The inverted WAC-Amazonia connection suggests a substantial change in their relative orientation from Nuna to Gondwana, providing an additional example of large-magnitude cumulative azimuthal rotations between adjacent continental blocks over supercontinental cycles.

Disentangling records of Rodinia fragmentation and true polar wander remains a challenge for understanding late Tonian plate tectonics. The ca. 760 Ma lower member of the Liántuó Formation, South China, yields a primary paleomagnetic remanence that passes both the fold and reversal tests. This new result and recently reported ca. 800 Ma data from elsewhere in South China suggest a new interpretation of its apparent polar wander path, whereby pre–770 Ma poles have inverted absolute polarity relative to traditional interpretations. Based on this inversion, and an interpretation of several oscillations of true polar wander documented by global data during 810–760 Ma, we propose a novel reconstruction for Rodinia and its breakup. Our reconstruction places the South China, India, and Kalahari cratons to the southwest of Laurentia, with connections that might have been established as early as ca. 1000 Ma. Our model also suggests that initial rifting of Rodinia occurred at ca. 800 Ma via fast northward motion of the India craton and South China.

The duration of the eruption of the Emeishan large igneous province is hotly debated. We conducted a magnetostratigraphic and geochronological study of the core area of the large igneous province in the Binchuan area of Yunnan Province, southwestern China, in order to constrain the duration of the eruption. The results of detailed thermal demagnetization experiments revealed two remanent magnetic components from the volcanic rocks of 11 composite sections. A low-temperature component separated below 300 °C is interpreted as a recent viscous remanence. Additionally, reliable characteristic remanent magnetizations were revealed above 400 °C, with unblocking temperatures up to 580−680 °C, which passed the fold test and record three magnetozones. Zircons from the felsic ignimbrites exposed in the final stage of the mafic volcanism are dated to 258.2 ± 0.7 Ma (n = 15; mean square of weighted deviates = 1.3) by sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe. Stratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic correlations of the Emeishan basalts in the Binchuan sections indicate that the eruption of the mafic rocks of the Emeishan large igneous province can be clearly divided into early (reverse polarity subzone), middle (normal polarity subzone), and late (reverse polarity subzone) stages, with a total duration of less than 1.7 m.y. (260.8−259.1 Ma). However, by combining this chronology with previously reported conodont biostratigraphic results from locations around the Emeishan large igneous province, and comparing the dominant normal-reverse polarity sequence in the Emeishan large igneous province with the geomagnetic polarity time scale, we obtain a much shorter duration of the main eruptive stage of

Data presented in the paper, detailed geological setting of the sampling section, laboratory methods, paleomagnetic results, and data analysis.

Large-scale block migration has been proposed based on Early and early Late Ordovician paleomagnetic data for the South China Block (SCB). However, this is anomalous in terms of the previously reconstructed affinity between the SCB and East Gondwana. A paleomagnetic and petrographic reassessment of the Lower Ordovician sedimentary rocks is therefore necessary to assess the reliability of the Early Ordovician paleopole of the SCB. Consequently, we obtained paleomagnetic data from 47 sites at five localities of the SCB. For most specimens, detailed thermal demagnetization experiments yielded viscous components at ~120 °C, while the stable characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) was isolated up to 680 °C. The ChRM passed the fold test and hematite is identified as the remanence carrier. The samples give the site-mean ChRM direction Ds/Is = 313.0°/61.9° (ks = 47.1, α95 = 3.2°) after tilt correction (five localities, 47 sites). Although the ChRM direction passed the fold test that was likely acquired before the Tertiary, petrographic studies reveal the occurrence of widespread secondary hematite in the specimens, indicating that the rocks were remagnetized after deposition. The average paleomagnetic direction overlaps with the Jurassic paleomagnetic direction from sampling areas of the southwestern SCB, implying that the remagnetization event occurred during the Jurassic. The Early Ordovician paleopole of the SCB is therefore urgently needed for plate reconstruction of the SCB within Gondwana.

The mechanism of deformation associated with the Cenozoic collision of India with Asia along the eastern boundary remains a poorly understood aspect of the tectonic evolution of the southwestern South China Block (SCB). Consequently, we carried out a palaeomagnetic investigation of Palaeogene red beds of the Dayao area of Yunnan Province in order to contribute to understanding the Palaeogene evolution of the SCB. A characteristic higher temperature magnetic component (HTC), with an unblocking temperature from 660°C to 680°C, was determined by principal component analysis (PCA), and positive fold tests indicated that the remanence was a primary magnetization. The mean direction of the HTC from the Dayao area is Ds = 27.8° Is = 33.1° κ = 64.8, α95 = 4.3° after tilt correction. Compared with other palaeomagnetic results from the SCB, our data suggest that the central part of the Chuan–Dian Fragment (CDF) experienced approximately 16.3 ± 4.7° clockwise rotation with respect to East Asia. Rotation of the CDF occurred along the left-lateral Xianshuihe–Xiaojiang Fault Systems (XSF-XJF), which exhibit an arc-shaped curve centred on the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis. The XSF-XJF was approximated by a circle centred on a Euler pole at Lat. = 26.5° N, Lon. = 97.2° E (α95 = 0.2°), based on 11 reference points selected from the fault system. The clockwise rotation of the CDF resulted in left-lateral shearing along the XSF-XJF system, with a left-lateral displacement of ~200 km. The nature of diverse intense local deformation along the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang left-lateral strike-slip fault systems is also discussed.

The paleogeographic relationship between South China and Australia during the Ordovician is important for understanding the configuration of South China in Gondwana. However, high-quality Ordovician paleomagnetic results for the Yangtze Block are scarce. Here we report the results of a new paleomagnetic study of the Late Ordovician limestones of Wangcang County in the northern Yangtze Block, performed in order to constrain the paleoposition of South China. Two magnetic components were isolated by detailed stepwise thermal demagnetization. The low-temperature component falls close to the local current Earth's field direction. The site-mean direction obtained from the high-temperature component (HTC) carried by magnetite is D/I = 132.6°/−35.2° (α95 = 3.6°) after bedding correction, yielding a paleomagnetic pole at 45.8°S, 191.3°E (dp = 2.4°, dm = 4.2°). The HTC direction passed reversal and fold tests, and its corresponding pole differs from the available paleomagnetic poles since the Silurian of the South China Block. These results suggest that the remanent magnetization was probably acquired during the earliest stage of sedimentation. The high-temperature component yields a paleolatitude of 19.5°S, implying that the Yangtze Block was at tropic latitudes during the Late Ordovician. These new and reliable paleomagnetic results bridge the Ordovician data gap and favor the proximity between South China and Australia during the Late Ordovician.

A new paleomagnetic and geochronological study was conducted on the Tonian Chengjiāng Formation from Yunnan Province, South China, to examine the recent reported true polar wander event (TPW) during 825–750 Ma and clarify the position of South China in the Rodinia supercontinent. Detailed thermal demagnetization revealed two remanent magnetic components. A low-temperature component separated below 300 °C is interpreted as a recent viscous remanence. Additionally, a high-temperature component (H1) with unblocking temperature up to 690 °C is revealed. Passing both the fold test and reversal test, and recording at least two and half magnetochrons, H1 is suggested to be a primary remanence. The paleomagnetic pole (CJH1, 33.4°N, 56.1°E, d p / d m = 7.3 ° / 8.9 ° ) calculated from component H1 has no similarities to the Phanerozoic apparent polar wander path of South China. SHRIMP II U-Pb zircon data from a tuff bed near the paleomagnetic sampling sites suggest that the H1 pole has an age of ca. 800 Ma. Combining the reported Tonian paleomagnetic results from South China and Svalbard, we suggest a ∼63° TPW event during 825–790 Ma. Under this TPW paleomagnetic frame and using the reliable Tonian paleomagnetic results from other continents, we reconstruct the main part of Rodinia. This new configuration of Rodinia reconstructs South China and India at its northern periphery, and within the polar or high latitude zone during ca. 900–750 Ma. The polar location of those cratons, together with the mid-high latitudinal distribution of Australia, Congo and Baltica, suggests that Rodinia was a pan-latitudinal rather than an equatorially distributed supercontinent. The reconstruction also suggests that the breakup of the Rodinia should have been after 750 Ma but before 720 Ma. Despite similarities of their assembly and configuration, Rodinia and Pangea affected the Earth system differently.