Tectonic Implications: Zircon age of Sedimentary Rocks from Khabarovsk, Samarka, and Zhuravlevka-Amur Terranes in the Northern Sikhote-Alin Orogenic Belt

A groundbreaking study reveals that sedimentary rocks in the northern Sikhote-Alin Orogenic Belt, part of Russia's UNESCO-listed Central Sikhote-Alin, have significantly younger isotopic ages than previously accepted stratigraphic records. This challenges long-standing geological assumptions about the region's tectonic history. Researchers analyzed detrital zircons from 20 sedimentary rock samples across three terranes—Khabarovsk, Samarka, and Zhuravlevka–Amur—to trace their origins. The findings indicate that rocks in the Khabarovsk Terrane and parts of the Zhuravlevka–Amur Terrane were sourced from the eastern Central Asian Belt, while others originated from the North China Craton. This study provides critical insights into the tectonic evolution of the Sikhote-Alin region, offering a revised framework for understanding its geological development.

Didenko, A. N., Otoh, Sh., Kudymov, A. V., Peskov, A. Yu., Arkhipov, M. V., Miyake, Yu., & Nagata, M. (2020). Tectonic Implications: Zircon age of Sedimentary Rocks from Khabarovsk, Samarka, and Zhuravlevka-Amur Terranes in the Northern Sikhote-Alin Orogenic Belt. Russian Journal of Pacific Geology, 14(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1134/s1819714020010030