Home – Home – Jornals – Russian Geology and Geophysics 2006 number 10

The term Barguzin microcontinent is well-known in the geological literature and is widely used in paleogeodynamic reconstructions of the Paleoasian ocean, though the problem of its outlining is still debatable. Different authors draw the boundaries of the Barguzin microcontinent in different ways. Most of the authors believe that the Barguzin microcontinent occupies the central part of the Baikal orogenic system. Therefore, it seems reasonable to examine the structure of the Baikal orogen in terms of terrane analysis and, on the basis of the obtained data, to outline the Barguzin microcontinent. It is shown that the distinguished Barguzin microcontinent is related to the Baikal orogen terranes. The Baikal-Muya terrane, which was accreted to the craton before the Vendian, is not considered part of the Barguzin microcontinent. Its main components might be the Barguzin and Ikat terranes, but their specific structure precludes their identification with a representative reference, the Tuvino-Mongolian microcontinent. The Barguzin and Ikat terranes were, most likely, formed under the conditions of back-arc basin.