Syn‐Subduction Strike‐Slip Faults Shape an Accretionary Orogen and its Provenance Signatures: Insights From Sikhote‐Alin in NE Asia During the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Sedimentary rocks provide key information on source‐to‐sink systems and the regional expression of plate tectonics. The abruptly changing provenance signature of sedimentary rocks is commonly ascribed to changes in the source regions, such as continental collision events, the rise of mountain chains, reorganization of river systems and climatic change. However, moving the positions of the sinks (depocenters) geographically can also change the provenance record, but this is rarely considered. Typically, large‐scale strike‐slip faults can transport depocenters for long distances, thus altering the provenance information. In this study, we present a systematic investigation of the provenance changes in the Sikhote‐Alin orogenic belt in the Russian Far East to evaluate this process. The Central Sikhote‐Alin Fault is a margin‐parallel strike‐slip fault that developed along the NE Asian continental margin from the late Mesozoic. Our new detrital zircon U‐Pb data, together with a compilation of geochronological data, indicate two different types of provenance signatures available: the sediments to the west of the fault were mainly derived from the adjacent Central Asian Orogenic Belt, but to the east of the fault, they were mainly supplied from the Korean Peninsula, which is several hundred kilometers away. It is proposed that these different sedimentary rocks were juxtaposed by syn‐ and post‐subduction sinistral displacements along the fault, and were not related to local variations in the source regions. Thus, understanding the shifting positions of depocenters is important when decoding provenance change because lateral displacement is critical for reconstructing regional paleogeography along oblique convergent plate margins. Drainage systems on Earth's continents carry abundant sediments from their sources to sinks. These sediments, which record climatic, topographic, tectonic and river dynamic information during their journeys, are finally preserved as sedimentary rocks. By studying them, geologists can decode the ancient source‐to‐sink systems. Events occurring in the source regions are always emphasized to explain the varying information in the sediments. For example, the rise of mountains can migrate river's watershed and drainage basins, changing the characteristics of materials. Sometimes, however, simply moving positions of the sinks/basins also can achieve similar effects, such as basins moved by large strike‐slip faults. Here, our research in Sikhote‐Alin, Russian Far East shows that the sediments have two age spectrum patterns, indicating two provenance types along the NE Asian margin during the late Mesozoic. We suggest that the two types were juxtaposed by a large‐scale strike‐slip fault during and/or after their deposition. The different provenance features in Sikhote‐Alin was caused by the large‐scale margin‐parallel motion, instead of any variations in the sources. Similar tales were reported in NW America, northeastern Tibetan Plateau and other regions globally. Thus, understanding the shifting positions of sinks/basins is important when interpreting provenance change and reconstructing regional paleogeography. Provenance change along the NE Asian margin was caused by large strike‐slip faults cutting depocenters, not variations in the sourcesMoving geographic positions of depocenters is rarely considered, but need more attentions when analyzing provenance changeLinking large strike‐slip faults and sedimentary records can importantly contribute to plate and geographic reconstructions Provenance change along the NE Asian margin was caused by large strike‐slip faults cutting depocenters, not variations in the sources Moving geographic positions of depocenters is rarely considered, but need more attentions when analyzing provenance change Linking large strike‐slip faults and sedimentary records can importantly contribute to plate and geographic reconstructions