根据影响克拉通盆地演化的板块活动所经历的威尔逊旋回,扬子克拉通南华纪—早古生代的构造—沉积旋回可分为5期,即南华纪—震旦纪的均衡调整期、寒武纪的扩张期、早—中奥陶世的汇聚期、中—晚奥陶世的碰撞期和志留纪新一轮的均衡调整期。发生在晚奥陶世的中加里东运动是加里东期最强烈的一次造山运动,而发生在晚志留世的晚加里东运动是一次地壳上升运动;相应的扬子古板块志留纪盆地的构造背景为造山期后的裂谷伸展环境,其原型盆地表现为周缘裂谷盆地与弱伸展的克拉通内盆地相间发育的格局。
Influenced by the Wilson cycle of plate evolution, the tectonic-sedimentary cycle of the Yangtze cra- ton from Nanhuaan to the Early Palaeozoic was divided into five stages, i. e. a balanced adjustment stage during Sinian, an extension stage during Cambrian, a convergence stage during the Early-Middle Ordovician, a collision stage during the Middle-Late Ordovician, and a fresh balanced adjustment stage during Silurian. The Middle Caledonian Movement occurring at the Late Ordovician was the strongest orogenic movement during Caledonian epoch, and the Late Caledonian Movement occurring at the Late Silurian was an epeirogenic uplift move- ment. Correspondingly, the characteristics of Silurian prototype of the Palaeo-Yangtze craton was a post-orogenic extensional collapse deposition, including rift basins at the edges and weak-extensional basins at the interior of the craton.