The evolution of the Dabie orogenic belt based on the sedimentary styles and tectonic patterns of the Hefei Basin, Anhui

The NWW-trending Dabie Mountains lie in the eastern part of the Qinling-Dabie orogenic belt in central China. The formation and evolution of the Dabie Mountains posterior to the Indosinian movement are focused on the basis of sedimentary styles and tectonic patterns of the Hefei Basin, Anhui. There once occurred at least four episodes of orogenesis in the Dabie Mountains from the Mesozoic onwards:Indosinian, late Yanshanian, early and middle Himalayan. These orogenic processes vary greatly in intensity and patterns. The Indosinian orogenic event is conspicuous for the intense and large-scale compression and overthrusting from south to north. This kind of compression and overthrusting persisted in the late Yanshanian except that its scale is relatively small. The early Himalayan orogenic event is represented by the small-scale compression, whereas the overall uplifting and subsidence took place during the middle Himalayan.