To constrain the paleo - positions of the South China Cratons in the Rodinia Supercontinent during the Neoproterozoic, the in - situ U - Pb dating, and Hf isotope analysis of the detrital zircon from the Nam Co Complex, Song Ma Suture zone, northwestern Vietnam was performed. The U - Pb isotopic dating on detrital zircons shows that the Nam Co Complex demonstrates the major population (>50%) of around ~850 Ma while the minor population is scattered between ~1.2÷3.0 Ga. The Neoproterozoic age spectrum exhibits a large range of the εHf(t) from strongly negative to positive values ( - 17.418022÷ 14.600527), indicating that the source of the magma for this age range has been not only derived from reworking of the Archean basement rocks, but also generated from the juvenile material. The U - Pb age distribution patterns and Hf isotopic data of the detrital zircon in the Nam Co Complex are compatible with those of the South China Craton rather than those of the Indochina Craton. The data also indicate that sedimentary protoliths of the Nam Co Complex were deposited in a convergent - related basin along the southwestern margin of the South China Craton during the Neoproterozoic. Combined with the similarities of the detrital zircon age between western Cathaysia, Indochina, East Antarctica and East India, it is proved that the South China Craton was situated at the margin of the Rodinia Supercontinent and in close proximity to the Indochina, East Antarctica and East India.
Paleo - position of the South China Craton in the Rodinia Supercontinent: Evidence from the U - Pb age and Hf isotope of detrital zircon from the Nam Co Complex