Abstract: The Solonker-Linxi suture marks the final closure of the Central Asian Ocean (also called it Paleo-Asian Ocean), and is a suture boundary between the North China and Siberian blocks. A comparative analysis of paleomagnetic data from the North China and Siberian blocks has been done to determine the collision and amalgamation history of two blocks in the central Asian region, and corresponding time of final closure of the Central Asian Ocean, located between two blocks. The results show that (1) The Central Asian Ocean separating the Siberian and North China blocks was likely opened further from the Late Devonian to the Late Carboniferous. The Central Asian Ocean reached its greatest width of about 39 in latitude in the beginning of Early Permian; (2) The Siberian block began to drift southwards rapidly in the Early Permian, and collided with the North China block at the end-Permian (~250Ma), leading to the formation of the Solonker-Linxi suture.

Key words: paleomagnetism, the Central Asian Ocean, North China, Siberia