Cover Image Credits

The article by Zhang and others titled “Determination of an intracontinental transform system along the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt in the latest Paleozoic” (p. 851–897) provides detailed field data to constrain a group of nearly EW-trending dextral shear zones along the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), from the Beishan to the Great Xing'an Mountains to the east. Regional strike-slip duplex systems were developed and strongly superimposed on the CAOB. The ages of the shear system range from 280 Ma to 230 Ma and become younger to the east. This megashear system may also connect with the shortening in the Ural Orogenic belt to the west and with the convergence along the eastern margin of the Eurasian continent. The rotation and approach of the Baltic and Siberian cratons and eastward spreading of Pangea may have caused the development of the megashear system and intracontinental deformation from Pangea B to Pangea A.

Explanation of cover figure: This figure shows the Pangea Supercontinent, distribution of the Intra-Pangean Megashear (IPM), and tectonic setting during the Late Permian-early Mesozoic. This system is approximately 9000 km long in the Asian continent and may also connect with the shear zones along the southern Variscan orogenic belt and South Appalachian Orogenic Belt.