Paleomagnetic Study of Upper Paleozoic Erathem Along the Southwestern Margin of Tarim Block, China

Based on the paleomagnetic results obtained from Upper Paleozoic Erathem along the southwestern margin of the Tarim Block, this paper paleomagnetically discusses some fundamenlal geologic problems related to the area researched. The following conclusions were drawn from this study: 1) Artashi Area rapidly drifted northwards from Devonian to Carboniferous and researched mid-latitudinal area from a low-latitudinal area resulting an increase of about 16 in paleolatitude. 2) Duwa Area essentially remained relatively stable from Carboniferous to Permian and did not experience any horizontal motion evidently. 3) The Carboniferous System in Duwa Area is younger than that in Artashi Area. 4) There existed an open sea about 800km wide lying between Artashi Area and Duwa Area during carboniferous. 5) Duwa Area started moving northwards again in Permian Period. Tiekelike Uplift Zone began bending as an arc and got strengthened continuously in subsequent tectonic movements. This study further demonstrates paleomagntically that until late Permian the Tarim Block and the North China Block were still two independent tectonic units which were separated far away from each ather.