CRETACEOUS EARLY TERTIARY PALEOLATITUDE MIGRATION IN THE SANSHUI BASIN OF SOUTH CHINA AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

The evolutionary model of the South China Sea (SCS) is discussed based on data from the Sanshui Basin which indicates the paleolatitude migration of South China. The results show that South China played a prevailing role in the evolution of the SCS, which has been basically formed by the southward migration, and later reversal, of the South China continent in the course of extension, faulting and breaking up in the south of South China during the Late Cretaceous to Miocene. The microcontinent fragments which are found scattered in the SCS today were separated there when South China migrated back. The Philippine Arc migrated northwards with Philippine Sea Plate until the Pliocene to form the east boundary of the SCS. The Indochina block only played a transitional boundary role.