南天山碰撞造山带位于西伯利亚与塔里木地块之间的北亚造山区南部的天山造山系的中南部,是塔里木地块与哈萨克斯坦-准噶尔地块之间的一条构造带,地理上由哈尔克山、额尔宾山、虎拉山等组成,地质上主要由古生代地质体组成,其南北两侧均为活动陆缘,中间由洋壳残片、洋岛和增生杂岩组成,是南天山古生代洋盆演化的产物。南天山古洋盆从震旦纪裂解,寒武纪持续扩张,奥陶纪—石炭纪向南北两侧俯冲闭合,至二叠纪南天山造山带进入后造山调整阶段。
The southern Tianshan collisional orogenic belt belongs to the middle-southern part of the Tianshan orogenic system in the southern North Asia area between the Siberia and Tarim blocks. It is situated between the Tarim and Kazakhstan-Junggar blocks, and geographically includes the Haerke, Erbin and Hula mountains. The orogen is mainly made up of Paleozoic terranes, which are represented by active continental margins at the southern and northern sides and relic oceanic crusts and accretionary complex (produced during evolution of the Paleozoic southern Tianshan Ocean) at the central region. It is proposed that the southern Tianshan oceanic basin came into being in Sinian through continental rifting, and continued to expand during Cambrian. From Ordovician to Carboniferous, the oceanic basin experienced subduction at both the northern and southern sides, leading to its final closure in late Carboniferous. From Permian to early Triassic, the southern Tianshan orogen experienced the stage of post-orogenic adjustments.