Geochronological and palaeomagnetic investigation of the Madiyi Formation, lower Banxi Group, South China: Implications for Rodinia reconstruction

•U-Pb ages of ~801.9 Ma and ~804.6 Ma were got from the Madiyi Formation, South China.•A ~800 Ma paleopole was reported from the Madiyi Formation.•South China was at a high latitudinal position at ~800 Ma.•South China was unlikely to be in the central position of Rodinia at ~800 Ma. New geochronological and palaeomagnetic data are presented for the Madiyi Formation of the lower Banxi Group in the South China Block (SCB). Zircon U–Pb dating of two tuff beds within the sampled section yielded consistent ages of 801.9 ± 6.3 Ma and 804.6 ± 9.6 Ma. A total of 137 palaeomagnetic samples were collected and thermally stepwise demagnetized. Three components were isolated. Component A was identified in 30 samples below 300 °C. It has a mean direction resembling the recent geomagnetic field, and is interpreted of recent viscous remanent magnetization. Component B, typically isolated below ~660 °C, yields a pole in situ close to the Cretaceous poles of the SCB and is interpreted as a Cretaceous overprint. Component C was identified in 90 samples, determined in the high-temperature steps between 660 and 690 °C. It yielded a mean direction of Ds = 293.1°, Is = 69.9° (k = 22.3, α95 = 3.2°) after tilt correction, corresponding to a palaeopole of 35.3°N, 67.9°E (dp = 5.5°, dm = 4.7°) and palaeolatitude of 53.8 +4.9/−4.7°N for the study area. Inclination correction using an empirical flattening factor f = 0.6 yielded a corrected mean direction of Ds* = 293.0°, Is* = 77.3° (k = 51.4, α95 = 2.1°), corresponding to a palaeopole of 34.3°N, 82.4°E (dp = 3.9°, dm = 3.7°) and palaeolatitude of 65.7 +3.7/−3.6°. Component C records five polarity zones and passes a reversal test. The pole diverges from all younger poles of the SCB, and is interpreted to be of primary remanent magnetization. Our results reveal a high-latitude position of the SCB at ~800 Ma. Comparing with other two poles from the Xiaofeng dykes (~821 Ma) and Yanbian dykes (~824 Ma) reveals no significant latitudinal difference for the SCB between ~820 and 800 Ma. However, coeval poles from the global palaeomagnetic database, along with geological evidence, indicate that East Svalbard, Australia and Laurentia were located around the equator at ~800 Ma. The striking difference in palaeolatitude suggests that the SCB was unlikely to be located between southeastern Australia and western Laurentia in the Rodinia supercontinent at ~800 Ma.