Издатель: UIGGM SD RAS Publ. , Место издания: Novosibirsk , Год издания: 1993

This guidebook includes new information on geological structure and geodynamic interpretation for the Gorny Altai area located in Central Asia (southwestern part of Siberia) near to the Western cross of Russia, Mongolia and China boundaries. The quidebook was prepared for the 4th International Symposium on the IGCP Project 283 "Geodynamic evolution of Paleoasian Ocean" convened in Novosibirsk (Russia) 15-18, June, 1993. One of the most important results of this work was compilation of a Geodynamic Map of Paleoasian Ocean on 1:2.500.000 scale. The majority of geodynamic environments distinguished in the map are widespread within the territory of Gorny Altai. The quidebook may be considered as an explanatory note to the corresponding part of the Geodynamic map (Berzin et al., 1993). Gorny Altai relates to the western part of Altai-Sayan folded area being one of the most complicated accretionary-collisional structures of South Siberia. Four major stages of formation of the Altai-Sayan folded area can be distinguished: 1) Vendian-Cambrian island arc stage; 2) Ordovician-Silurian collisional stage; 3) Devonian-Carboniferous stage of an active margin; 4) Late Paleozoic-Mesozoic collisional stage of the Okhotsk-Mongolian ocean. The first three stages characterize the evolution of Paleoasian Ocean. The fourth stage has been displayed after the Paleoasian ocean closing, when a complicated Paleozoic structure of the region has formed. The youngest stage is characterized by manifestation of multi-amplitude variously oriented thrust and strike-slip dislocations of blocks squeezed between Kazakhstan, Siberia and Northern China continents. Late Paleozoic-Mesozoic collision of continents has created the modern mosaic-block structure of Altai-Sayan area. Only inside the blocks the fragments of deformed Paleozoic structure are preserved which are connected with the folded areas of linear type. The deformations of every next stage of the Paleoasian ocean development were superimposed on earlier formed structures. Therefore, study of Early Paleozoic structures and paleodynamic reconstructions was difficult to be carried out. The Devonian-Early Carboniferous rocks of an active continental margin are less deformed.