Conclusion
The North China Basin is a composite basin, which is composed of the west sub-basin and east sub-basin. The west sub-basin is an extensional basin while the east sub-basin is a pull-apart basin. The basin is a composite basin which experienced Cenozoic rifting. The North China Basin experienced two episodes of Cenozoic rifting and thermal subsidence in response to the motion of the Tanlu Fault Zone which was controlled by tectonic evolution of the northeast Asia (e.g. opening of Japan Sea). Extension estimates in the Late Eocene and Early Oligocene were calculated from 7.0% to 31.7% with a mean of 18.1%. From 42 Ma, the North China Basin entered new period: the basin became much wider and extension rates increased. The extension estimates for the Late Oligocene range from 4.3% to 21.7% with a mean of 11.8%. This period represents the second stage of strong extension in the basin during the Cenozoic interpreted as tectonically driven by major rifting of the basin. Movement of the Pacific plate played a more important role than collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates in the evolution of the Cenozoic basin, which led to the dextral strike-slip of Tanlu Fault.