Differentiating advancing and retreating subduction zones through regional zircon Hf isotope mapping: A case study from the Eastern Tianshan, NW China

Advancing and retreating subduction zones at convergent margins, primary sites of continental crust growth and loss, are the cornerstones of tectonic evolution of accretionary orogens. Yet, distinguishing the tectonic mode (advancing, retreating, or switching) of subduction zones in fossil orogens is not always straightforward due to the scarcity of strong evidence. As an alternative approach, we utilized zircon Hf isotope mapping of arc...