Chronology of major geological events of the Wudang block in the south Qinling orogen

The Wudang block is one of several median blocks in a series of rigid orogenic belts in the South Qinling tectonic belt. It has undergone three major tectonic deformation events since the Paleozoic, i.e. syncollisional extention, thrusting and late orogenic strike slip. Structural study indicates that the deformational events are related to the collision of the North China plate and the South Qinling tectonic belt along the Shangdan suture zone, the opening of the late Paleozoic Mianlue Ocean and the wholesale collision of the North China plate with the Yangtze plate in the Qinling orogen, respectively. The syncollisional extension occurred 423~261 Ma ago and thrusting about 234~200 Ma ago.