Detrital Zircon Age Constraints on the Evolution of Paleo‐Tethys in NE Iran: Implications for Subduction and Collision Tectonics

The timings of the onset oceanic spreading, subduction and collision are crucial in plate reconstructions, but not always straightforward to resolve. Paleo-Tethys evolution dominated Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic tectonics West Asia, timeline events is still poorly constrained. We present new detrital zircon ages from Binalud Mountains NE Iran, order determine timing tectonic region, wider implications for regional tectonics, paleogeography climate change. Consistent age patterns Paleozoic clastic rocks show a dominant provenance Neoproterozoic basement northern Gondwana. interpret this as deposition on long-lasting passive continental margin after initial spreading Ocean. Central Iran-Eurasia caused coarse Mashhad Phyllite peripheral foreland basin sequence Iran Block. yields clusters at 450–250 Ma 1,900–1,800 Ma, with clear long-lived arc active Eurasian since latest Ordovician. Analysis spectra allows us constrain maximum depositional no later than 228 Ma. This provides tight constraint between Eurasia, which also coincides Carnian Pluvial Event (CPE). Our evidence reinforces previous speculation closure causal mechanism CPE.