The Xiaoqinling metamorphic core complex: A record of Early Cretaceous backarc extension along the southern part of the North China Craton

Many metamorphic core complexes (MCCs) of Early Cretaceous age are documented in the northern part of the North China Craton (NCC), which formed in a backarc extensional setting. However, whether or not the MCCs are also present in the southern part of the NCC, and where the western boundary of backarc extension lies, remain unclear. We present new structural and geochronological data to show that Early Cretaceous structures in the Xiaoqinling...