中文

Chinese Journal of Nature >

2022 , Vol. 44 >Issue 1: 31 - 38

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2022.01.003

Review Article

Evolution of the South China Sea

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  • ①Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China; ②Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; ③China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences, CAS-HEC, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan

Received date: 2022-10-11

  Online published: 2022-02-21

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Abstract

South China Sea is the largest marginal sea of the eastern Asia. It has developed complex structures and rich hydrocarbon potential. For a long time, scientists are arguing about how South China Sea evolved into its present situation, as well as the deep driving mechanism and controlling factors. In order to resolve the above-mentioned questions, large amounts of geophysical investigations and 3 turns with 5 International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions were carried out in South China Sea, which in turn led to significant progress. This paper summarized the dynamic attribute and the evolution history of the South China Sea based on the past decades of research progress. Three existing scientific questions were raised the following summary, including the mechanism of margin transition from active to passive, the breaking up pattern of the South China Sea continental margin and the dynamics of extraordinary large amount of magmatism during the South China Sea evolution. Hopefully these questions can be resolved through more cutting-edge investigation and IODP drilling expeditions, serving for the natural resources exploration and submarine hazards monitoring.

Cite this article

SUN Zhen . Evolution of the South China Sea[J]. Chinese Journal of Nature, 2022 , 44(1) : 31 -38 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2022.01.003

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