Assembling North China Craton within the Columbia supercontinent: The role of double-sided subduction

An evaluation of recent S-wave receiver functions, S-wave velocities and two versions of P-wave tomographic images along various transects in the North China Craton provides some clues on the subduction-collision history of the different crustal blocks and their final amalgamation within the Paleoproterozoic Columbia supercontinent. Interpretation of a N–S seismic section of the craton suggests thick slab debris sinking to various depths in the mantle. The W–E seismic corridors show the preservation of a thick (>200 km) lithospheric root (tectosphere) beneath the Ordos Block and its variable and extensive erosion towards the Yanliao Block (Eastern Block). This zone is characterized by layers with marked…