The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is the largest world accretionary system consisting of a complex mosaic of crustal blocks of both continental and oceanic origin. It is proposed that the late Paleozoic and Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Mongolian tract of the CAOB is related to the massive shortening of the whole belt between the continental jaws of Siberia and North China. An important part of this evolution is recorded in central part of the CAOB represented by the early Paleozoic ophiolites and Silurian-Carboniferous ocean-plate sedimentary sequences of the Mongol-Okhotsk accretionary complex. The scissor-like closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk oceanic complexes operated coevally with anticlockwise rotation of the Erguna ribbon continent. We aim to test this hypothesis by means of a multidisciplinary study involving structural field analysis, low-temperature geochronology (K-Ar and Ar-Ar methods), U-Pb zircon analyses of stitching and syntectonic granitoids, and paleomagnetic investigations. These studies will be carried out along two critical sections across the Mongol-Okhotsk accretionary complex in the Hangay and Khentey basins and in the Altai Paleozoic sequences south of Erguna basement. The goal of the study is understanding the link between the paleogeographic evolution of the system, times scales, and kinematics of successive deformation events.

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