Tectonic Evolution of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Dear Colleagues,

The Tethys Ocean was a vast ocean that existed during the Mesozoic era, located between the northern Laurasian continent and the southern Gondwana supercontinent. As the Gondwana supercontinent's northern margin underwent convergence and dispersal, the Tethys Ocean underwent a complex evolutionary process, including its Proto-Tethys, Palaeo-Tethys, and Neo-Tethys stages. After the Tethys Ocean closed, it formed a series of northwest–southeast trending suture zones on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. According to the general consensus, the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean opened during the Devonian and closed during the Late Triassic period. In recent years, extensive Early Paleozoic geological records have been discovered and reported in the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, primarily including Early Paleozoic ophiolites and Early Paleozoic sedimentary formations. These important research findings have once again made the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean a focus of attention in the scientific community but have also raised a series of new and more critical scientific questions. On the one hand, the current geological community's understanding of the Tethys Ocean is divided, which has led to controversy over the construction and attribution of these Early Paleozoic geological records. On the other hand, due to the limitations of research, there is still significant debate over the opening time and evolutionary process of the ancient Tethys Ocean. To further resolve these key scientific questions, this Special Issue invites submissions of original scientific research related to the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean's tectonic evolution. This Special Issue focuses on the following topics: (1) the opening time and main opening mechanism of the ancient Tethys Ocean, including the formation of ophiolites and oceanic sediments; (2) the time and process of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean's subduction; (3) the time, location, and geological, resource, and environmental effects of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean's final closure.

This Special Issue welcomes submissions from researchers worldwide, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean's evolution and its implications for the Earth's geological history.

Prof. Dr. Ming Wang
Guest Editor

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• Paleo-Tethys
• Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
• tectonic evolution
• geochronology
• geochemistry