Linking Taiwan to the Cathaysia Block during the Cenozoic: Evidence from Pb isotopes in detrital K-feldspar.

The Cenozoic sedimentary rocks on the island of Taiwan hold significant implications for understanding tectonic and drainage evolutions in SE China, but the provenance of these rocks remains controversial. Here we derived Pb isotopes in detrital K-feldspars from the drainage systems in western Taiwan to evaluate the provenance of sediments and reveal the evolution of Cenozoic sedimentary. Our findings indicate that the fluvial sediments eroded from the Cenozoic sedimentary rocks were primarily derived from the eastern Cathaysia Block (91%), with minor contributions from the Yangtze River catchment. Spatially, the northern part of Taiwan contains more sediments derived from the Yangtze River catchment than the southern part. The Cathaysia Block has been crucial in supplying detritus to Taiwan since the Eocene, whereas the contribution of the Yangtze Block varies greatly at different sedimentary periods. Two major shifts in provenance occur at the boundaries between Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene, which may be related to the changes in drainage systems and landscapes in eastern China. • Pb isotopes in detrital K-feldspar were examined in SE China and western Taiwan. • The sedimentary rocks were primarily derived from the eastern Cathaysia Block. • Northern Taiwan was more influenced by the Yangtze River catchment than the south. • Cenozoic provenance evolution related to changes in landscapes and drainage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]