Abstract
The history of evolution and formation of the East Sea has been studied by many foreign geoscientists, such as Tapponnier and et al. 1986, 1990; Taylor B., et al. 1983, Morley C.K., 2001, 2002; Hall R., 1996, 2002, 2004; Hutchison C.S., 2004; …) and domestic geoscientists as Lê Duy Bách, Trần Văn Tri, Nguyễn Biểu, Mai Thanh Tân, Phan Trọng Trịnh, Cao Đình Triều, Bùi Công Quế, Phan Trường Thị, Ngô Thường San, Hồ Đắc Hoài, Nguyễn Giao, Trần Lê Đông and also presented in various research works. In general, their ideas are all integrated into two principal geologic events: the collision of Indian and Eurasian Plates that has pushed Eurasian continental block to slip southeastward along the Three Pagoda fault, Mae Ping fault, 109o Meridian fault, Red river fault, Zhujiang river fault, Yangzi river fault, and the East Sea floor spreading in combination with gradual disappearance of Eurasian continent in the Borneo- Palawan suture zone. The consequence of slipping, suture and collision movements has created a series of Cenozoic basins in the East Sea of two main types: rift basins such as Cửu Long, Nam Côn Sơn, Phú Khánh, Tư Chính - Vũng Mây, basin groups such as Trường Sa, Hoàng Sa and pull-apart basins such as Sông Hồng, Malay - Thổ Chu.
The results of new seismic data processing and interpretation in recent years combined with gravity, magnetic, sea bed geologic data have for the first time allowed to delineate and differentiate sedimentary basins, to assess active role and classify fault systems, determine the tectonic history of various structural units in the study region, serving as the prerequisite for assessment of potential and prospectivity of mineral resources in the East Việt Nam Sea.