Timing of the final closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean: Constraints from provenance of early Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in West Kunlun, NW China

Collision can be subdivided into “soft” and “hard” types, with the “soft” collision occurring after double-sided oceanic subduction and the “hard” collision after single-sided oceanic subduction. Although two types of collision involve different geodynamics and generate distinct petrological assemblages, whether they can preserve distinct records of detrital zircons remains unclear. This study confirms “soft” collision between the north Western...