Anyone studying the geology and tectonics of China and who is not able to read Chinese will need to have a copy of this book: Ceotectonic Evolution of China and a companion copy of the Tectonic Map of China, scale 1:4000,000. Professor Huang Jiqing and his collaborators from the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences have provided the English-speaking earth scientists with an extremely valuable tool that can be used towards understanding the geo b;;y of China. The introductory chapter is necessary to read prior to effective use of the material discussed in other chapters as it clearly presents the philosophy of this school of tectonics. The collaborators of the book acknowledge the important changes have been brough about by the plate tectonics theory but do not fully incorporate these ideas into their discussion. The book and map are testimony to the tremendous amount of geologic work accomplished by Chinese geologists in the past fourty years. As our Chinese collea gues begin to publish more English summaries such as this, it will become apparent to the rest of the world the vast amount of geologic mapping along with supportive stratigraphy and geophysics that has already been accomplished. Nearly all major non Chinese tracts on tectonic synthesis of the world treat China in only a cursory fashio)1 because so little is known of the area. With this text and map, future world tectonic synthesis can no longer afford to leave China out of the picture.

This volume provides accounts of up-to-date research by Chinese and international geological teams on key aspects of the tectonic evolution of China and its surrounding areas. The papers describe the formation of the geological terranes that make up this part of east Asia, place constraints on plate tectonic models for their assembly and provide accounts of unique geological feature of the subcontinent.

"The Tectonics of China: Data, Maps and Evolution" presents the regional geological and petroleum surveys of China, the author's original tectonic data, and research results of Chinese and international scientists (more than 1500 references) from the last three decades. It examines the main developments of geological evolution, a series of tectonic events in the overall geological history, 13 tectonic maps of the entire continent of Asia in different tectonic epochs, and a general discussion of the main tectonic characteristics of the Chinese continental plate. This book also intensively discusses the Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonics and intraplate deformations, which control the majority of ore deposits and oil-gas reservoirs and have a tremendous influence on the climates and natural disasters on the continent. Some important tectonic theory problems are discussed, such as the mechanisms of the widespread intraplate deformation, the variation of lithosphere thickness, the existence of mantle plumes, the dynamic mechanisms for global tectonics, and the author's proposed hypotheses on mantle plumes and meteorite impacts. The book is intended for researchers and geologists working at universities, on geological surveys, for mining or petroleum companies, and for graduate students of geology and mineral resources. Tianfeng Wan is Professor at the China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China.

The North China Craton is one of the oldest cratonic blocks in the world, containing rocks as old as 3.85 billion years. Focusing on Neoarchean mantle plumes and Paleoproterozoic plate tectonics, this book combines the results from modern geological research to provide you with a detailed synthesis of the geology, structure, and evolution of the North China Craton. It will be of value to anyone interested in the evolution of cratonic blocks and Precambrian geology as well as geoscientists interested in applying tectonic models to other cratonic blocks globally. This work will also be of interest to geologists concerned with the problems of structure and evolution of the Precambrian continents and supercontinents. The first book to apply mantle plume and plate tectonics models to understanding the Neoarchean accretion and Paleoproterozoic amalgamation of a craton Features more than 75 geologic maps, illustrations, diagrams, and microphotographs depicting the progressive stages of the North China Craton’s Precambrian evolution Authored by one of the world’s foremost experts in cratonic evolution and mantle plume and plate tectonic modeling

This book is the first contribution to the overview of Precambrian geology of China. It covers Precambrian geology of the North China Craton, the South China Craton and the Tarim Craton, as well as other smaller blocks in the Chinese orogenic belts. It provides systematic concepts of the Chinese paleo-continents and incorporates the most up-to-date achievements. Edited by many of the active researchers working at the forefront of the related fields, it contributes greatly to the international Precambrian geology community and would be of interest to geoscientists working in the research field of geology of China and Precambrian geodynamics.