Precambrian Research 110 (2001) 127 – 141 Central Taimyr accretionary belt (Arctic Asia): Meso – Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution and Rodinia breakup V.A. Vernikovsky *, A.E. Vernikovskaya Institute of Geology, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Koptyug Ae. 3, 630090 Noosibirsk, Russia Abstract The structure and tectonic position of the Neoproterozoic Central Taimyr accretionary belt of northwestern Siberia is dominated by the Faddey and Mamont-Shrenk granite-gneiss terranes, ophiolites, and back-arc volcanic rocks. Granites in the granite-gneiss terranes are S-type and formed between 900 and 850 Ma from 1.9 to 1.8 Ga continental crust. U–Pb and Sm–Nd isotopic studies show that the plagiogranites of the Chelyuskin ophiolite belt formed between 850 and 740 Ma. The ophiolite complex was metamorphosed to garnet amphibolite grade around 600 Ma, which is considered to be when the accretionary belt was obducted onto the Siberian continent. Comparison of principal structures of the Central Taimyr accretionary belt with similar structures in Arctic countries permits definition of the principal stages of the Neoproterozoic destruction of the supercontinent Rodinia, in the Arctic region. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Central Taimyr accretionary belt; Neoproterozoic; Ophiolite www.elsevier.com/locate/precamres 1. Introduction Several hypotheses for the formation and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent have been proposed recently. Most investigators believe that it was formed about 1000–1050 Ma ago and was broken up during the Neoproterozoic (Sears and Price, 1978; Bond et al., 1984; Dalziel, 1991; Hoffman, 1991; Powell et al., 1993, 1994). Other researchers argue for rifting as late as Early Cam- brian (e.g. Pelechaty, 1996). The presence of Grenvillian-age foldbelts be- tween Eastern Greenland and the northern part of Ellesmere Island on the one hand, and Baltica with Svalbard on the other has been described often (Dalziel, 1991; Hoffman, 1991; Condie and Rosen, 1994). Their extension on the periphery of Siberia towards the Yenisey Ridge foldbelt on the west and the Franklinian foldbelt on the east was not discussed, mainly because of the absence of data from the Siberian belts. Now, the geological data and isotope geochronology from the Meso – Neoproterozoic continental crust terranes of Northern and Central Taimyr suggest that they be considered as blocks of the palaeocontinent, * Corresponding author. Fax: +38-323-32792. E-mail address: taimyr@uiggm.nsc.ru (V.A. Vernikovsky). 0301-9268/01/$ - see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII:S0301-9268(01)00184-X