North Palawan block, Philippines - its relation to Asian mainland and role in evolution of South China Sea.

Abstract

The Island of Mindoro, the N part of Palawan Island, and the Reed Bank area (SW Philippines) together constitute a continental fragment, the N Palawan block, lying within an island arc-oceanic setting. The Permian to Paleogene rocks of these areas indicate a geologic origin and history for the block contrasting with that of the rest of the Philippine Archipelago. These rocks also suggest that the N Palawan block once occupied a pre-drift position contiguous with the S China mainland. A suite of palinspastic reconstructions has been prepared, which shows the evolution of the S China Sea area from the late Triassic to the Pliocene.-from Author