Earth’s tectonic history is characterized by the formation and destruction of several supercontinents that included most of the Earth’s continental crust. This process called supercontinent cycle involves the formation of mountain belts during which rocks undergo metamorphism that corresponds to dramatic pressure (P) and temperature (T) increase. The Tarim-North China collage, a mountain chain in Central Asia, is considered as having formed along the northeast of the Gondwana supercontinent between 500 and 400 million years ago, and mainly consist of magmatic-metamorphic rock suites that formed at the time. By studying metamorphic rocks from the Tarim-North China collage, we can understand when and how these continental fragments have been detached from northeastern margin of Gondwana and incorporated into the present-day Asian continent. In particular, combining both garnet Lu─Hf and Sm─Nd geochronology and P─T metamorphic studies into detailed petrochonological investigations systematically applied to all metamorphic rocks will allow us to i) propose a new model of tectonic evolution for northeast Gondwana and ii) explore the mechanisms that govern Earth’s supercontinent cycle.
POLONEZ BIS project No. 2021/43/P/ST10/02996