Eastward termination of the Solonker–Xar Moron River Suture determined by detrital zircon U–Pb isotopic dating and Permian floristics Yuewu Sun a,b,⇑ , Mingsong Li c,⇑ , Wenchun Ge d , Yanlong Zhang d , Dejun Zhang a a Research Center of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Jilin University, Xi Minzhu Str. 6, 130026 Changchun, China b Key Lab for the Evolution of Past Life and Environment in Northeast Asia, Ministry of Education (Jilin University), Xi Minzhu Str. 6, 130026 Changchun, China c Faculty of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Lumo Rd. 388, 430074 Wuhan, China d College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Jianshe Str. 2199, 130061 Changchun, China article info Article history: Received 22 February 2013 Received in revised form 13 June 2013 Accepted 15 July 2013 Available online 26 July 2013 Keywords: Detrital zircon U–Pb isotopic dating Early Permian Hesheng Formation Solonker–Xar Moron River Suture Northeastern China abstract The Permian Solonker–Xar Moron River Suture in South Mongolia and Inner Mongolia of China represents a major tectonic boundary in Asia. The position of its eastward continuation in northeastern China has been debated for many years. In order to resolve this debate, we measured detrital zircons of the Cisu- ralian (Early Permian) plant fossil-bearing Hesheng Formation in the Yanbian area, Jilin Province. The detrital zircons have ages of ca. 2541–2535 Ma, 1897–1832 Ma, 458–452 Ma, and 390–280 Ma. We therefore conclude that the depositional age of the Hesheng Formation is younger than ca. 280 Ma; this is consistent with paleontologic data that indicates an Artinskian–Early Kungurian age. The presence of Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic zircons suggests that the Hesheng Formation may have a North-China affinity; the absence of Neoproterozoic and Pan-African zircons preclude detrital sources from the Jiamu- si–Mongolia Block during the Cisuralian. This, combined with the Permian floristic and stratigraphic data, provides a clue that the Solonker–Xar Moron River Suture likely extends to the Wangqing–Hunchun region, in eastern Jilin Province. Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The Jiamusi, Songnen, and Erguna–Hsingan terranes in north- eastern China form parts of the Jiamusi–Mongolia Block (Wang et al., 2008, 2009b). It is believed that the Jiamusi–Mongolia Block and North China Plate collided along the Solonker–Xar Moron River Suture (Li, 1980; Li et al., 1982; Jahn et al., 2000; Wu et al., 2000; Li, 2006; Jian et al., 2008). Although it is generally thought that this took place at the end of the Permian (Huang, 1980b; Wang, 1981; Li and Wang, 1983; Wang and Fan, 1997; Xiao et al., 2003; Sun et al., 2004; Wu et al., 2007, 2011; Chen et al., 2009), the exact position of the suture in the Yanbian area is still in debate (BGMRJP, 1988; Zhao et al., 1996; Zhang, 1997; Jia et al., 2004). This hampers the classification and correlation of upper Paleozoic strata in the region (BGMRJP, 1988; Sun, 1988; Shao and Tang, 1995; Li, 1997; Zhang et al., 2000; Yin et al., 2003; Jia et al., 2004; Peng et al., 2005; Shen et al., 2006; Shi, 2006; Tang and Zhao, 2007; Zhou et al., 2009), and our understanding of the tectonic evo- lution in the Yanbian area (Peng et al., 1999; Tang et al., 2004; Shen et al., 2006), and the central Asian orogenic belt (Xiao et al., 2003, 2010; Windley et al., 2007). Dating of detrital zircons helps to determine a detrital prove- nance (Fedo et al., 2003; Cope et al., 2005; Yang et al., 2006; Xiao et al., 2008; Li et al., 2009a). Here we report detrital zircon ages of sandstones from the Hesheng Formation of Daxinggou, Wangq- ing County, in the Yanbian prefecture of eastern Jilin, China. By so doing, we get new evidence to constrain the position of an eastern continuation of the Solonker–Xar Moron River Suture, combined with paleontologic and stratigraphic data. 2. Geologic setting 2.1. Tectonics The Jiamusi–Mongolia Block is located between the Sibirian and the North China Plates (Wang et al., 2008, 2009b, 2011), and is composed of several terranes (Ye et al., 1994; Zhang et al., 1999), namely, the Erguna–Hsingan, Songnen, and Jiamusi terranes (Fig. 1). They share a Pan-African crystalline basements and pos- sess a tectonic affinity with the Siberian Plate (Zhou et al., 2011). 1367-9120/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.07.018 ⇑ Corresponding authors at: Research Center of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Jilin University, Xi Minzhu Str. 6, 130026 Changchun, China (Y. Sun), Faculty of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Lumo Rd. 388, 430074 Wuhan, China (M. Li). These authors contributed equally to this work. E-mail addresses: sunyuewu@jlu.edu.cn (Y. Sun), limingsonglms@gmail.com (M. Li). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 75 (2013) 243–250 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Asian Earth Sciences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jseaes