Origin of the North Qinling Microcontinent and Proterozoic geotectonic evolution of the Kuanping Ocean, Central China

The high Pb isotopic ratios among the North Qinling Microcontinent (NQM), the western margin of the Yangtze Craton (WYC) and the western part of South Qinling (WSQ) indicate an identical or very similar origin of their basement. In addition, the analogical peak values of Paleoproterozoic detrital zircons also agree that the NQM originated from the WYC. The evolution of the NQM and the Kuanping Ocean is closely related to the aggregation and...