Tectonic evolution of the eastern margin of the Northern South Yellow Sea Basin in the Yellow Sea since the Late Cretaceous

• We explained the tectonic evolution of the Eastern Subbasin since the Late Cretaceous that marks the eastern margin of the Northern South Yellow Sea Basin. • The evolution of the subbasin includes not only subsidence (rapid, slow, accelerated, and gradual) but short-term uplift. • The subbasin evolved with sequential development of nested duplex structures created by dextral extension. • The NW subduction of the Pacific Plate oblique to the NE Asian margin played an important role by inducing SE extension at the margin and NE-SW transtensional dextral slip parallel to the margin. The South Yellow Sea Basin is the largest sedimentary basin in the Yellow Sea. The Gunsan Basin in the central eastern part of the Northern South Yellow Sea Basin comprises the Western, Central, and Eastern Subbasins. The Eastern Subbasin marks the eastern margin of the South Yellow Sea Basin. Interpretation of multi-channel seismic profiles and balanced cross-section restoration of depth-converted seismic profiles reveal the structural characteristics and evolution of the Eastern Subbasin. The subbasin comprises three groups of faults: NW-SE, NE-SW, and NNE-SSW trending faults. The subsidence pattern of the subbasin, derived from the cross-section restoration analysis, indicates five distinguished evolution phases: (i) rapid subsidence in the Late Cretaceous, (ii) slow subsidence from the Paleocene to the Eocene, (iii) accelerated subsidence in the Oligocene, (iv) alternation of the uplift and subsidence in the Early Miocene, and (v) gradual subsidence since the Middle Miocene. The main and moderate subsidence can be explained by the combination of extension in the SE and NE-SW directions that formed double duplex structures. We suggest that the NW oblique subduction of the Pacific Plate under the NE Asia margin induced both extension toward the trench and dextral strike-slip parallel to the margin. The extension toward the trench caused SE transtension in a local pull-apart setting, whereas the dextral strike-slip parallel to the margin caused NE-SW extension, inducing more significant subsidence. The combined processes resulted in the progressive development of nested duplex structures. The evolution of the Eastern Subbasin is not compatible with previously suggested models for the western part of the South Yellow Sea Basin including foreland basin formation and transtension induced by branch faults of the Tan-Lu Fault.