Central Asian Orogenic Belt
The Central Asian Orogenic Belt is an orogen that covers much of Central Asia, extending from the Urals to the Pacific and dividing the Siberian and Eastern European cratons from the North China and Tarim cratons. It has been accepted that the belt was formed by accretion, but there is debate over the relative timing and nature of the various accretions. The accretion orogens form one of the largest areas of continental growth, representing 800 Ma of development. The part of the Belt in Russia is believed to have formed when the Kokchetav and Altai-Mongolian terranes collided with the Siberia Craton. The Altai Structures reach into Russia, representing the extent of a mobile belt primarily lying south of the border. This is known as the Altai-Sayan orogen and is part of the belt present in Russia, along with the Transbaikalia and Primorje orogens.
Read more about this topic: Geology Of Russia
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