The subduction of Yangtse plate under the North China plate ended the continental collision and changed into intracontinental subduction at the end of Triassic

resulting in the formation of intracontinental foreland basins on the flanks of Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt.In this period

the South Yellow Sea basin on the southern side of Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt was an intracontinental foreland basin(J

1

—J

2

)

while the North Yellow Sea basin and Jiaolai basin on the northern side of Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt were probably uplifted

because the Lower and Middle Jurassic sequence is absent.From Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

extensive volcanic eruption and magmatic intrusion occurred in the eastern China

indicating the dramatic change of tectonic stress in this region.Tectonic settings were obviously different on the northern and southern sides of Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt.The characteristics of volcanic rocks on the northern side of Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt indicate that this region

including North Yellow Sea and Jiaolai basins

was in a rifting stage

represented by the occurrence of grabens and half-grabens and the development of high angle plane normal faults and listric normal faults.In Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary

the tectonic setting in eastern China changed obviously into large scale rift faulting.The A-type granite developed in Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in late Cretaceous

indicating the end of orogenesis and entered into the avalanche period and post-orogenic period of orogenic belt

which was consistent with the extension period in eastern China.Rift faulting was strong in South Yellow Sea basin

where relatively thick Eogene strata was deposited.Rift faulting was relatively weak in North Yellow Sea basin

where thin Eogene strata was deposited only in a small area in the north.The South and North Yellow Sea basins changed from rift to depression due to thermal subsidence in Neogene.