那拉提断裂晚第四纪活动及其反映的天山内部构造变形

对天山内部大型断裂带晚第四纪以来变形特征的研究是认知天山现今构造变形特征的重要途径。在大比例尺遥感影像解译的基础上,利用野外调查测量、探槽开挖及热释光测年的方法,对那拉提断裂进行了研究。那拉提断裂是一条晚第四纪以来仍有较强活动的大型逆冲左旋走滑断裂带,断裂带宽度巨大,由多条倾向不同的次级断裂组成,分布在南北宽数公里的范围内,这些滑动面是逆冲走滑断裂在地表分散形成的"正花状"构造。晚第四纪期间,那拉提断裂曾多次发生过断错地表的强震事件,是天山内部一条重要的地震构造带。断裂断错了那拉提山前晚第四纪以来的各级地貌面,主要表现为断层陡坎、冲沟水系和地貌面的左旋位移,根据实测陡坎高度和对应地貌面的定年,获得断裂所造成的南北向地壳缩短速率在O.8~1.1mm/a左右,表明天山内部同样存在明显的构造变形。结合目前已有的地震地质研究资料,对天山山前和天山内部吸收的变形量分配进行了讨论,认为天山南北两侧山前对变形量的吸收调节作用并不显著高于天山内部。那拉提断裂具有左旋走滑特征的发现,对于理解天山现今变形方式以及应变分配具有重要的意义。     

阿尔金断裂系西段——康西瓦断裂的 晚第四纪构造地貌特征研究*

阿尔金断裂带是青藏高原北部的一条大型左旋走滑断裂带,近EW向延伸2000多公里, 它构成了青藏高原与塔里木盆地之间的重要地质边界。康西瓦断裂位于阿尔金断裂带西段, 呈WNW-ESE向延伸约 700km。文章在高分辨率卫星遥感图像(印度遥感卫星5.8m分辨率)和数字高程地形模型(DEM)数据分析的基础上,并结合野外构造地貌考察观测,对康西瓦断裂的第四纪构造活动及其地貌特征进行了初步研究。沿断裂带发育的系统错断水系、错断冲积扇、挤压脊、走滑拉分盆地等典型构造地貌特征表明,该断裂晚第四纪经历了强烈的左旋走滑活动。同时,研究还揭示沿康西瓦断裂发育了一条长约80km的地表地震破裂带,最大同震左旋水平错位为4m,估算产生该地表破裂带的地震是一矩震级为M_w7.3的大地震。 另外,文章根据不同年代地表地貌特征的左旋错位距离,估算出康西瓦断裂晚第四纪以来的长期走滑速率为8~12mm/a,远低于早期估算的20~30mm/a,但是与阿尔金断裂带中、东段的地质估算结果9±2mm/a及GPS测量结果9±4mm/a接近。     

青藏高原东北缘海原断裂带晚新生代构造变形

海原断裂带是青藏高原东北缘的边界断裂带,其新生代以来丰富的构造变形样式是研究高原向北东方向扩展的天然实验室。采自断裂带上盘南华山的磷灰石裂变径迹热年代学结果、横跨海原断裂带的地震反射剖面分析揭示了海原断裂带晚新生代以来经历了先逆冲、后走滑的两阶段变形过程。海原断裂第一阶段强烈的北东方向逆冲推覆变形始于(12±3)Ma,造成了断裂上盘山体的快速隆升与断裂下盘的挠曲变形,同时,破坏了高原东北缘新生代巨型沉积盆地。海原断裂这种挤压变形代表了青藏高原在约12Ma扩展至现今高原东北部,使其成为高原东北缘的最新组成部分。约5.4Ma,海原断裂第二阶段变形以不断增加的左旋走滑分量为特征,沿断裂带所产生的左旋走滑位移被其尾端的六盘山、马东山以东西向的地壳缩短调节吸收。海原断裂上新世左旋走滑运动,可能主要是青藏高原东北缘北东向挤压变形作用后期高原东北部物质沿其主要边界断裂向东有限挤出的结果。     

准噶尔西北缘斜向挤压构造与走滑断裂

古板块构造研究表明古生代以来,准噶尔地块以斜向方式拼合到阿尔泰（Altaids）造山带构造域内,导致准噶尔西北缘一直处在斜向挤压构造背景之下,并发育高角度逆冲推覆构造带以及横向走滑断裂。地面地质调查、遥感卫星影像解译、大地电磁测深剖面和地震剖面构造解释资料综合研究表明,准噶尔西北缘边界断裂为达拉布特左行走滑断裂,西北缘逆冲推覆构造带为基底卷入的高角度逆冲断裂褶皱带; 在与逆冲带走向相垂直方向,发育有北西向横向走滑断裂,这些断裂为同一斜向挤压构造背景下形成的同期构造,形成时间约在晚二叠到侏罗纪之间。大地电磁测深和地震剖面解释表明,达拉布特走滑断裂控制了西北缘高角度逆冲断裂的分布与性质。西北缘二维和三维地震剖面解释表明,横向走滑断裂样式为正花状构造或者负花状构造,同时具有向南东或北西方向逆冲和拉伸的特征。横向走滑断裂为西北缘逆冲构造南北方向分段的主要断裂,并控制了西北缘中生代地层的沉积。西北缘构造是形成于主边界断裂的斜向挤压作用,而基底卷入逆冲断裂则属非纯挤压形成的逆冲构造。     

南天山乌什前陆逆冲褶皱构造带的晚新生代构造地貌特征与地震活动

乌什逆冲断褶带位于南天山库车前陆逆冲褶皱构造带的西段,对该地区晚新生代构造活动的研究有利于加深对南天山前陆逆冲构造带的认识。本文通过对卫星遥感影像和DEM数据的解译分析,并结合研究区野外考察及典型地震反射剖面的分析,表明乌什逆冲断褶带东部地貌演化受褶皱生长影响较为深刻,发育一系列由新到老的冲积扇和风口。台兰河中游河流阶地和冰碛物均被秋里塔格断层错断,阶地断距为3.1～6.7 m,台兰期冰碛物(M_2)断距约80 m。秋里塔格断裂第四纪以来水平缩短速率约为1.23～1.59 mm/a。西部地区发育一系列逆冲断层,并发育典型的活动断层陡坎。乌什凹陷地震活动也具有明显的西强东弱的特点,地震活动具有沿断层呈带状分布的特点。乌什逆冲断褶带位于南天山造山带东西构造的转换地带,地震活动西部明显强于东部,且具有呈带状沿南天山及其山前逆冲断裂带分布的特点。历史地震分析表明上个世纪以来该区域未有7级以上地震发生,但其西部地区6级以上地震频发,随着阿克苏地区区域经济的快速发展和人口的快速增长,乌什逆冲断褶带的地震活动性应该引起地质学家更加深入的关注和研究。     

康西瓦断裂带晚新生代构造地貌特征及其构造意义

文章详细调查了康西瓦断裂带发育的断层崖、断层陡坎、地震破裂带、错断山脊、拉分盆地、挤压脊、偏心洪积扇、错断水系等新构造运动形迹,这些新构造运动形迹表明了康西瓦断裂带在晚新生代以来发生了强烈的左旋走滑运动,并兼有正滑运动分量。数字地形高程模型(DEM)分析表明康西瓦断裂西端终止于塔什库尔干谷地东部的瓦恰河谷内,东端与著名的阿尔金断裂带相连。如果以喀拉喀什河和玉龙喀什河为参照系,康西瓦断裂晚新生代以来的左旋走滑累积位移量可达 80～85km,根据断裂带 8～12mm/a的长期走滑速率,推测康西瓦断裂带新生代以来的左旋走滑运动开始于约10Ma。结合我们获得的断裂带两侧岩浆岩的年龄,表明康西瓦断裂带左旋走滑运动的开始时代为晚中新世,现今康西瓦地区的构造地貌格局很可能是中新世晚期以来强烈的左旋走滑运动形成的。     

柴达木盆地北缘走滑-冲断构造特征及其油气勘探思路

处于阿尔金左行走滑构造带东缘的柴北缘,过去一致认为是个前陆逆冲带,并对其逆冲构造特征作了大量的研究。通过本次的野外地质勘察和深部地震测线研究,证实柴达木盆地北缘的主要变形样式为走滑-挤压构造,具有挤压推覆特征的同时伴生有走滑构造,并且主要断层系统沿走向滑动的距离远大于沿倾向冲断推覆的距离,从而建立了柴北缘走滑-逆冲构造的地质模型;这对其地震解释有指导作用。从柴达木盆地的构造变形时间序列和演变特征从西向东依次扩展、构造活动从老变新,认为柴北缘的走滑-逆冲构造受阿尔金山大型走滑构造和祁连山剧烈的逆冲挤压构造共同控制。最后研究了柴北缘的走滑-逆冲构造特征对油气勘探的意义,加强勘探评价冷湖—南八仙走滑逆冲构造带的翼部断块圈闭和赛什腾山南缘逆冲推覆体下伏地层。     

青藏高原大型走滑断裂带晚新生代构造地貌生长及水系响应

大型走滑断裂带对调节印度板块和亚洲板块碰撞后产生的陆内构造变形和地貌生长起着非常重要作用。本文分析了沿青藏高原北缘主要大型左旋走滑断裂带：东昆仑、康西瓦和鲜水河-小江断裂带发育的错断地质体、大型错断水系或水系拐弯等新构造地貌特征,表明这些大型走滑断裂带在晚新生代以来发生了大规模的左旋走滑运动：前新生代地质体错位距离为80～120 km,大型水系累积的位移量可达80～90 km。根据这些走滑断裂带的长期走滑速率为8～12 mm/a,估算上述大型走滑断裂带的左旋走滑运动开始于中新世晚期：东昆仑和康西瓦断裂带左旋走滑运动开始于10±2 Ma; 鲜水河-小江断裂带甘孜-玉树段的左旋走滑运动的开始时间约为8～115 Ma。同样,如果大型水系的沿断裂带出现的大型错位或拐弯能够代表断裂带累积错位的上限,表明发源于青藏高原的黄河、金沙江、喀拉喀什河和玉龙喀什河等一级水系上游大致开始形成于9～7 Ma±。西昆仑山前盆地中河流相沉积的最早响应时间为8～6 Ma,与喀拉喀什河和玉龙喀什河等西昆仑山地区一级水系的形成时间基本一致,表明这些大型水系初始形成时间与左旋走滑构造运动的开始时间准同时。这表明中新世中晚期青藏高原构造演化发生了重要转变。     

塔里木盆地西北部构造演化特征--从皮羌断裂发育史想到

通过野外工作和地震剖面分析在此首次提出皮羌断裂具有3期构造活动历史:古生代为正断层;早第三纪-中新世为逆断层,并具有右旋走滑分量;上新世为左旋走滑(撕裂)断层.中新世,与皮羌断裂右旋走滑相协调,柯坪断隆东部带与巴楚断隆尚未分离,它们共同构成塔西南前陆盆地的前缘隆起.上新世时,柯坪断隆受南天山陆内造山的影响,形成大规模逆冲推覆构造,皮羌断裂此时发生左旋走滑,调节了柯坪断隆东西两部分推覆作用的差异性.因此,皮羌断裂是一条多期活动断裂,多期断裂构造性质的认识对重新认识塔里木盆地西北部构造演化和油气勘探具有重要意义.笔者认为,塔里木盆地西北部存在新生代两期构造演化史.     

青藏高原东北缘海原断裂带新生代构造演化

海原断裂带作为青藏高原东北缘构造变形最显著断裂带之一,记录了青藏高原向北东扩展的构造信息。在详细的构造测量基础上,初步提出海原断裂带新生代以来的古构造应力场序列,反演了其新生代构造演化历史。详细构造解析表明,海原断裂带新生代以来主要经历了5个构造演化历史阶段,即始新世-中新世NWSE向构造伸展与沉积盆地发育、中新世晚期-上新世NNESSW向构造挤压与海原断裂带右行走滑活动、上新世末-早更新世NESW向构造挤压与强烈褶皱逆冲活动、晚更新世晚期以来ENEWSW向构造伸展与断陷盆地发育、全新世以来NESW向构造挤压作用与断裂带强烈左行走滑活动。变形分析表明海原断裂带现今地貌格局主要缘于上新世末-早更新世NESW向强烈逆冲活动,后期ENEWSW向构造挤压作用导致断裂走滑活动,并改造了局部地貌,主要表现为沿断裂带发育一系列第四纪小型拉分盆地。该带新生代构造演化研究,为探讨青藏高原东北缘新构造演化提供了具体构造证据。     

Intra-continental deformation and tectonic evolution of the West Junggar Orogenic Belt,Central Asia:Evidence from remote sensing and structural geological analyses

The West Junggar Orogenic Belt(WJOB)in northwestern Xinjiang,China,is located in the core of the western part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB).It has suffered two stage tectonic evolutions in Phanerozoic,before and after the ocean–continental conversion in Late Paleozoic.The later on intracontinental deformation,characterized by the development of the NE-trending West Junggar sinistral strike-slip fault system(WJFS)since Late Carboniferous and Early Permian,and the NW-trending Chingiz-Junggar dextral strike-slip fault(CJF)in Mesozoic and Cenozoic,has an important significance for the tectonic evolution of the WJOB and the CAOB.In this paper,we conduct geometric and kinematic analyses of the WJOB,based on field geological survey and structural interpretation of remote sensing image data.Using some piercing points such as truncated plutons and anticlines,an average magnitude of^73 km for the left-lateral strike-slip is calculated for the Darabut Fault,a major fault of the WJFS.Some partial of the displacement should be accommodated by strike-slip fault-related folds developed during the strike-slip faulting.Circular and curved faults,asymmetrical folds,and irregular contribution of ultramafic bodies,implies potential opposite vertical rotation of the Miao’ergou and the Akebasitao batholiths,resulted from the sinistral strike-slipping along the Darabut Fault.Due to conjugate shearing set of the sinistral WJFS and the dextral CJF since Early Mesozoic,superimposed folds formed with N–S convergence in southwestern part of the WJOB.     

Slip sense inversion on active strike-slip faults in southwest Japan and its implications for Cenozoic tectonic evolution

Analyses of deflected river channels, offset of basement rocks, and fault rock structures reveal that slip sense inversion occurred on major active strike-slip faults in southwest Japan such as the Yamasaki and Mitoke fault zones and the Median Tectonic Line (MTL). Along the Yamasaki and Mitoke fault zones, small-size rivers cutting shallowly mountain slopes and Quaternary terraces have been deflected sinistrally, whereas large-size rivers which deeply incised into the Mio-Pliocene elevated peneplains show no systematically sinistral offset or complicated hairpin-shaped deflection. When the sinistral offsets accumulated on the small-size rivers are restored, the large-size rivers show residual dextral deflections. This dextral offset sense is consistent with that recorded in the pre-Cenozoic basement rocks. S–C fabrics of fault gouge and breccia zone developed in the active fault zones show sinistral shear sense compatible with earthquake focal mechanisms, whereas those of the foliated cataclasite indicate a dextral shear sense. These observations show that the sinistral strike-slip shear fabrics were overprinted on dextral ones which formed during a previous deformation phase. Similar topographic and geologic features are observed along the MTL in the central-eastern part of the Kii Peninsula. Based on these geomorphological and geological data, we infer that the slip sense inversion occurred in the period between the late Tertiary and mid-Quaternary period. This strike-slip inversion might result from the plate rearrangement consequent to the mid-Miocene Japan Sea opening event. This multidisciplinary study gives insight into how active strike-slip fault might evolves with time.     

Mountain building processes in intracontinental oblique deformation belts: Lessons from the Gobi Corridor,Central Asia

This paper presents a review of the Quaternary–Recent deformation field and mountain building processes within the Gobi Corridor region of Central Asia, which includes the North Tibetan foreland, Beishan, Gobi Altai and easternmost Tien Shan. The region can be considered the ‘soft core’ of Central Asia which has been reactivated due to the continuing Indo-Eurasia collision to the south. Favourable preconditions for reactivation of Gobi Corridor basement include a mechanically weak Palaeozoic terrane collage sandwiched between rigid Precambrian basement blocks to the north and south, thermally weakened crust due to Jurassic–Miocene volcanism and widespread Palaeozoic–Mesozoic granitic magmatism with associated high radiogenic heat production, and crustal thinning due to widespread Cretaceous rift basin development. The network of Quaternary–Recent faults within the entire region defines a diffuse sinistral transpressional deformation field that has generated a transpressional basin and range physiographic province. Typically, thrust and oblique-slip thrust faults are WNW-striking and reactivate basement faults and fabrics, whereas left-lateral strike-slip faults are ENE-striking and cut across basement trends. The angular relationship between SHmax and pre-existing basement structural trends is the fundamental control on the kinematics of Late Cenozoic deformation. Along-strike and across-strike growth and coalescence of restraining bends, other transpressional ranges and thrust ridges is an important mountain building process. Thrust faults throughout the region are both NNE and SSW directed and thus there is no common structural vergence, nor orogenic foreland or hinterland. Root structures appear to be vertical faults, not low-angle decollements and flower structure fault geometries within individual ranges are common. Published earthquake and geodetic data are consistent with a diffusely deforming continental interior region with tectonic loading shared amongst a complex network of faults. Therefore, earthquake prediction is likely to be more complex than in plate boundary settings and extrapolation of derived Late Quaternary fault slip rates is not straightforward. Modern mountain building within the Gobi Corridor demonstrates that reactivation of ancient accretionary and collisional orogens within continental interiors can play an important role in continental evolution and the life cycle of orogenic belts.     

华北克拉通破坏区最新构造运动起始时间讨论

华北克拉通破坏区是历史破坏性地震频发区,震源机制解和地震地表破裂带等反映出历史地震的发震断层为新生走滑断层,很难用地壳的伸展构造系统来合理解释.首先对1679年三河-平谷M8.0级地震的大厂隐伏凹陷西边界夏垫断裂进行高分辨率地震勘探和上盘钻孔地层进行标定,然后在河套断陷盆地带大青山南麓晚更新世湖相地层中识别出2期角度不整合面(UC1和UC2),并进行了系统测年,综合近年来活动断层比例尺填图和城市活动断层探测成果,明确指出,在华北克拉通破坏区,代表新生代早期地壳伸展运动的铲形正断层的活动性在上新世至第四纪早期逐渐减弱,到晚更新世早期基本停止活动;晚更新世中期以来大青山构造运动为华北克拉通破坏区最新一期构造运动,主要表现为区域剪切应变条件下新生走滑断层形成和扩展,并伴随相关地震活动.最新构造运动的主要动力来源于青藏高原物质东向挤出,以及其对鄂尔多斯块体西南缘强烈东向推挤作用.这些新认识对深化华北克拉通破坏区地震发震机理研究,理解板内最新变形动力学,均具有十分重要的科学价值.     

2001年昆仑山口西8.1级地震地表破裂带

2001年11月14日昆仑山口西8.1级地震是近50年来在我国大陆发生的震级最大、地表破裂最长的地震事件.地震地表破裂带全长426km,宽数米至数百米,总体走向90°～110°,具有明显的破裂分段特征,自西向东由5条次级破裂段组成.各破裂段又由若干更次级左阶或右阶斜列的破裂组成,具有自相似的分形结构特征.地震破裂带以左旋走滑为主,倾滑量很小.宏观震中区位于库赛湖东北93.0°～93.5°E一带的昆仑山南麓断层谷地内.最大地表同震左旋水平位移6.4m,最大垂直位移为4m.地表水平位移沿地震破裂带走向出现6个峰值,各峰值之间存在相对独立的衰减序列,这表明此地震具有多点破裂特征.     

Recent crustal movements in the Central Sierra Nevada—Walker lane region of California—Nevada: Part ii, The pyramid lake right-slip fault zone segment of the Walker lane

The Pyramid Lake fault zone is within the Honey Lake—Walker Lake segment of the Walker Lane, a NW-trending zone of right-slip transcurrent faulting, which extends for more than 600 km from Las Vegas, Nevada, to beyond Honey Lake, California. Multiscale, multiformat analysis of Landsat imagery and large-scale (1: 12,000) lowsun angle aerial photography, delineated both regional and site-specific evidence for faults in Late Cenozoic sedimentary deposits southwest of Pyramid Lake. The fault zone is coincident with a portion of a distinct NW-trending topographic discontinuity on the Landsat mosaic of Nevada. The zone exhibits numerous geomorphic features characteristic of strike-slip fault zones, including: recent scarps, offset stream channels, linear gullies, elongate troughs and depressions, sag ponds, vegetation alignments, transcurrent buckles, and rhombohedral and wedge-shaped enclosed depressions. These features are conspicuously developed in Late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary deposits and landforms.The Pyramid Lake shear zone has a maximum observable width of 5 km, defined by Riedel and conjugate Riedel shears with maximum observable lenghts of 10 and 3 km, respectively. P-shears have formed symmetrical to the Riedel shears and the principal displacement shears, or continuous horizontal shears, isolate elongate lenses of essentially passive material; most of the shears are inclined at an angle of approximately 4° to the principal direction of displacement. This suggests that the shear zone is in an early “PreResidual Structure” stage of evolution, with the principal deformation mechanism of direct shear replacing the kinematic restraints inherent in the strain field.Historic seismic activity includes microseismic events and may include the earthquake of about 1850 reported for the Pyramid Lake area with an estimated Richter magnitude of 7.0. Based on worldwide relations of earthquake magnitude to length of the zone of surface rupture, the Pyramid Lake fault zone is inferred to be capable of generating a 7.0–7.5-magnitude event for a maximum observable length of approximately 6 km and a 6.75–7.25-magnitude event for a half length of approximately 30 km.     

郯庐断裂带莱州湾段新生代活动演变及其沉积-改造效应

本文根据对覆盖区地震、钻井等资料的精细解释和深入剖析,揭示在渤海莱州湾地区郯庐断裂带由东、西两条分支断裂带构成,二者又分别由两条主断层及多条次生断层和其间的断块组成。分支断裂带的两条主断层的间距因地而异,一般在5km左右;其结构构造和空间展布特征有别,西支表现为"两断夹一凸"的不对称地垒式,东支主要呈"花状"构造结构。通过古地质构造恢复和分期动态构造演化分析等综合研究,厘定了在新生代不同时期两条分支断裂带在该区不同单元的活动特点和构造-改造效应,进而总结了郯庐断裂带新生代主要阶段的构造属性及其演变。认为在古近纪早中期,研究区处于区域伸展沉降环境,郯庐断裂带对该区的沉积展布无明显控制作用;断裂带活动的明显控制沉积效应始于古近纪晚期,总体具伸展兼右行走滑属性,主要表现为切割和改造了研究区原近东西向展布的优势构造-沉积格局,同时控制了前期沉积地层的剥蚀强度及其分布范围和同期沉积。新近纪以来,郯庐断裂带两条分支断裂带的活动表现出差异显著的东强西弱;于第四纪,在东支断裂带出现正花状反转构造,可能与幕式走滑兼挤压活动有关。     

中国西部新生代沉积盆地演化

新生代期间中国西部发生了多次强烈的构造运动, 经历了复杂的构造-地貌演化历史.地质构造背景和地球动力学过程则控制了中国西部大陆新生代期间的构造-地貌演化.盆-山系统是中国西部新生代构造的基本格局, 盆-岭体系是中国西部新生代的主要地貌单元.根据盆地的几何学、动力学与构造演化特征, 中国西部新生代盆地可以划分为压陷盆地、断陷盆地、走滑拉分盆地以及残留海-前陆盆地4类.这些新生代封闭盆地均被造山带所围限, 而盆地与山脉之间由挤压型活动断裂(逆冲断层和走滑断层)所分割.新生代以来印度板块与欧亚板块的碰撞以及其后印度板块的向北俯冲挤压, 对中国西部新生代沉积盆地的发育和演化产生了重大影响.中国西部新生代盆地构造岩相古地理演化与板块运动和构造隆升之间存在明显的耦合.      

Late Quaternary activity and dextral strike-slip movement on the Karakax Fault Zone, northwest Tibet

Field observations and interpretations of satellite images reveal that the westernmost segment of the Altyn Tagh Fault (called Karakax Fault Zone) striking WNW located in the northwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau has distinctive geomorphic and tectonic features indicative of right-lateral strike-slip fault in the Late Quaternary. South-flowing gullies and N–S-trending ridges are systematically deflected and offset by up to ~ 1250 m, and Late Pleistocene–Holocene alluvial fans and small gullies that incise south-sloping fans record dextral offset up to ~ 150 m along the fault zone. Fault scarps developed on alluvial fans vary in height from 1 to 24 m. Riedel composite fabrics of foliated cataclastic rocks including cataclasite and fault gouge developed in the shear zone indicate a principal right-lateral shear sense with a thrust component. Based on offset Late Quaternary alluvial fans, ¹⁴C ages and composite fabrics of cataclastic fault rocks, it is inferred that the average right-lateral strike-slip rate along the Karakax Fault Zone is ~ 9 mm/a in the Late Quaternary, with a vertical component of ~ 2 mm/a, and that a M 7.5 morphogenic earthquake occurred along this fault in 1902. We suggest that right-lateral slip in the Late Quaternary along the WNW-trending Karakax Fault Zone is caused by escape tectonics that accommodate north–south shortening of the western Tibetan Plateau due to ongoing northward penetration of the Indian plate into the Eurasian plate.     

Discussion of tectonic models for Cenozoic strike-slip fault-affected continental margins of mainland SE Asia

Understanding the roles of Cenozoic strike-slip faults in SE Asia observed in outcrop onshore, with their offshore continuation has produced a variety of structural models (particularly pull-apart vs. oblique extension, escape tectonics vs. slab-pull-driven extension) to explain their relationships to sedimentary basins. Key problems with interpreting the offshore significance of major strike-slip faults are: (1) reconciling conflicting palaeomagnetic data, (2) discriminating extensional, and oblique-extensional fault geometries from strike-slip geometries on 2D seismic reflection data, and (3) estimating strike-slip displacements from seismic reflection data.Focus on basic strike-slip fault geometries such as restraining vs. releasing bends, and strongly splaying geometries approach the gulfs of Thailand and Tonkin, suggest major strike-slip faults probably do not extend far offshore Splays covering areas 10,000’s km² in extent are characteristic of the southern portions of the Sagaing, Mae Ping, Three Pagodas and Ailao Shan-Red River faults, and are indicative of major faults dying out. The areas of the fault tips associated with faults of potentially 100 km+ displacement, scale appropriately with global examples of strike-slip faults on log–log displacement vs. tip area plots. The fault geometries in the Song Hong-Yinggehai Basin are inappropriate for a sinistral pull-apart geometry, and instead the southern fault strands of the Ailao Shan-Red River fault are interpreted to die out within the NW part of the Song Hong-Yinggehai Basin. Hence the fault zone does not transfer displacement onto the South China Seas spreading centre. The strike-slip faults are replaced by more extensional, oblique-extensional fault systems offshore to the south. The Sagaing Fault is also superimposed on an older Paleogene–Early Miocene oblique-extensional rift system. The Sagaing Fault geometry is complex, and one branch of the offshore fault zone transfers displacement onto the Pliocene-Recent Andaman spreading centre, and links with the West Andaman and related faults to form a very large pull-apart basin.