Paleocurrent and paleowind direction reconstruction research progress and perspectives: a review

Abstract Paleocurrent reconstruction is an important aspect of basin research, playing a key role in the reconstruction of sediment development and understanding the evolution of sedimentary environments. The reconstruction of paleowind direction is an important part of the study of paleoatmospheric circulation, playing a vital role in revealing the characteristics and evolution of paleoclimate. Water flow and wind movement present similar interactions with ground objects and leave direction information. This paper summarises the current common reconstruction theories of paleocurrent and paleowind direction, analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the reconstruction theories, and analyses the characteristics of reconstruction results. Based on the technical structure of paleocurrent and paleowind direction reconstruction, the development of reconstruction theories, processes and results are highlighted. The analysis shows that paleocurrent and paleowind directions can be used for paleoatmospheric circulation research, resource exploration, paleogeographic environment reconstruction and planetary geological research. KEY POINTS The current common theories of paleocurrent and paleowind direction reconstruction are outlined. The advantages, disadvantages and scope of application of the reconstruction theory are summarised. Applications and developments in the reconstruction of paleocurrent and paleowind directions are identified.