Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the northeastern margin of the North China Craton: Insight from the mountain-basin system

The Mesozoic era marks a pivotal transformation in the tectonic framework of the North China Craton, particularly involving the eastern margin, where multiple geodynamic domains converge. Despite its significance, the interplay and transitional processes among the Paleo-Asian, Paleo-Tethys, and Paleo-Pacific oceanic domains in this region remain inadequately resolved. This study focuses on the Qinglong region, a key tectonic transitional zone superimposed along the northeastern North China Craton margin, to reconstruct its Mesozoic tectonic and topographic evolution triggered by the interplay of multiple tectonic domains. We integrated provenance analysis, multimethod geochronology, low-temperature thermochronology, and thermal history modeling to unravel the multistage tectonic history of the region. The results from zircon and apatite U-Pb dating indicate a Neoarchean (ca. 2500 Ma) crystallization age and significant Paleoproterozoic (1900−1600 Ma) tectono-thermal overprinting. Apatite fission-track ages further show that the basement experienced a cooling event from the late Early Cretaceous to the Late Cretaceous (119−60 Ma), highlighting a prolonged, multistage tectonic evolution. The sedimentary provenance analysis demonstrates a notable shift in sedimentary sources due to geodynamic domain transition from the local Qinglong region and the western Trans−North China orogen in the Early Jurassic, to the local Qinglong region and the eastern Jiao−Liao−Ji Belt in the Early Cretaceous. Thermal history modeling further delineates a five-stage tectonic evolution from the Late Triassic to the Late Cretaceous, revealing alternating compressional and extensional regimes that are associated with the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (to the north) and the Paleo-Tethys Ocean (to the south), followed by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate (to the east). Of particular significance is the topographic inversion during the Early Cretaceous, which marks a critical transition from earlier collisional regimes dominated by the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and Paleo-Tethys Ocean to the subduction regime of the Paleo-Pacific plate. These results provide new insights into the geodynamic mechanisms underlying the formation and evolution of the eastern North China Craton’s topography, broadening our understanding of Mesozoic tectonic processes in the northeastern North China Craton and their role in shaping the tectonic framework of East Asia.