The tectonic evolution of Santanghu basin has undergone three major stages: (1) Oceanic subduction during Middle Devonian and the early phase of Late Devonian; (2) Formation of remnant sea basin from the late phase of Later Devonian to Early Carboniferous; (3) Intra-plate tectonic evolution since Later
Carboniferous. The last stage can be further divided into four sub-stages: collision and mountain formation during Late Carboniferous-Early Permian, A-subduction and foreland basin formation during Late Permian-Triassic, stress adjustment and sag-basin formation during Jurassic-Cretaceous, and Aubduc-
tion and regenerative foreland basin formation since Tertiary.Accordingly, six different, stacking prototype basins, namely back-arc basin, remnant sea basin, fore-mountain sag basin,foreland basin, simple sag basin and regenerative foreland basin,have been formed.
