Spatio-temporal distribution and mechanism of Cenozoic magmatism in the South China Sea and adjacent areas: Insight from seismic, geochemical and geochronological data

Cenozoic magmatism was highly active in the South China Sea (SCS), and mostly dominated by basalts. The magmatic rocks are mainly distributed in the lower slope and subbasins of the SCS, in addition to sporadic and small-scale Cenozoic volcanism on the SCS shelf. This paper presents a complete map of the Cenozoic magmatic rocks of the SCS with magmatic rock boundaries. This paper also presents an analysis of geological survey and published data in terms of seismic profiles, ages, geochemistry and isotopic systematics of the Cenozoic magmatic complexes of the SCS and adjacent areas. Many of wells or dredges are located in magmatic rocks identified by seismic profiles. Three periods of magmatic activity are distinguished: (1) a pre-spreading period (>33 Ma); (2) a syn-spreading period (33–15 Ma) and (3) a post-spreading period (<15 Ma). The thickest volcanic rocks encountered more than 1000 m (possibly Oligocene to Miocene) in the Boayan 1/1A well in the Palawan Trough of the southern SCS during Cenozoic. The oldest magmatic rocks are andesites (62.5 ± 2.2 Ma) in the northern SCS (offshore) and andesites (65 ± 3 Ma) in Penghu (on land). The latest modern magmatic activity was detected in 1923 offshore of a submarine volcanic eruption (10°09´29″N, 109°00′50″E, 20 m below sea level) and along the shore of a volcanic eruption in the Philippines. Cenozoic magmatic rocks of the SCS include at least 1008 rock bodies: the smallest is 0.00012 km2, the largest is 1528 km2 and the total area covers 46,309 km2. The Yangjiang-Yitong fault and Zhongnan-Reedbank fault divide the magmatic rocks into two different sections in the eastern and western SCS. The ages of the magmatic rocks in the eastern SCS are mostly older than those in the western SCS. The magmatic rocks in the northern, southern, eastern, western SCS and adjacent areas, and SCS basin are related to extension, subduction+collision, subduction, extrusion, extension+cooling+subsidence, respectively.