STAGES OF GEODYNAMIC REARRANGEMENTS OF THE EASTERN MARGIN OF THE EURASIAN CONTINENT IN THE CENOZOIC: THE AMUR RIVER-SEA OF THE OKHOTSK REGION

Abstract

It is widely believed in literature that the convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and the eastern margin of the Eurasian continent permanently existed through the Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic. However, new data in combination with recent publications on the Sikhote Alin–Sakhalin and the East China–Japan regions testify to geodynamic and tectonic instability of the eastern margin of the Eurasian Plate during this time interval, when the convergent boundary repeatedly gave way to the transform boundary. The information obtained makes it possible to trace a character of interaction of the Eurasian continent, including the Amur Microplate with the oceanic plates and the Sea of Okhotsk Microplate (hereafter, Okhotsk Microplate).