Tectonic setting of the seismogeny of the 1976 Tangshan, China M =7.8 earthquake

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Research on Micro-relief of Active Faults on the Coast of Southeast Fujian and Its Adjacent Area

On the southeast coast of Fujian and its adjacent area, the NE-trending Changle-Zhao′an fault zone and several NW-trending faults that are genetically related to the former are well developed. With micro-relief analysis, the paper deals with the Quaternary activity of the faults and the tectonic stress field since the late Pleistocene in this region. The results indicate that the micro-relief of the NE-trending Changle-Zhao′an fault zone and the genetically related NW-trending faults is characterized by vertical and horizontal movements since the Quaternary; the faults in the region have undergone two active stages since the Quaternary, i.e. early Quaternary and late Pleistocene; since the late Pleistocene, the movement of the NE-trending faults showed a right-lateral strike-slip, while that of NW-trending faults a left-lateral strike-slip, indicating a NWW-SEE oriented horizontal principal stress of the regional tectonic stress field     

滇西南地区孟连断裂晚第四纪新活动特征初步研究

孟连断裂位于云南省西南部与缅甸交界地带,是川滇菱形块体南部一条规模较大的活动断裂带,总体呈NEE向延伸,长约90km,走向N70°E,倾向NW,倾角50°~60°,断裂晚第四纪活动较强烈,以左旋走滑为主,兼具有倾滑特征。通过卫星影像解译和野外调查发现,其断错地貌主要以线性断层崖为主,高度不等,其次为断层谷地、断层沟槽和断层垭口地貌,冲沟及阶地的水平位移多在几十米至几百米之间。在孟连县城西侧开挖的大型探槽中,揭露出多条断层,通过分析剖面和14C测年结果认为,孟连断裂晚第四纪发生过4次古地震事件,除最早一次年代较久远以外,其他3次均发生在全新世中晚期以来,最近一次古地震事件的年代为(1 860±30)~(1 090±30)a B.P.。     

late quaternary activity of the qujiang fault and analysis of the slip rate

The Qujiang Fault is one of the most seismically active faults in western Yunnan, China and is considered to be the seismogenic fault of the 1970 M_S7.7 Tonghai earthquake. The Qujiang Fault is located at the southeastern tip of the Sichuan-Yunnan block. In this study, we examine the geometry, kinematics, and geomorphology of this fault through field observations and satellite images. The fault is characterized by dextral strike-slip movements with dip-slip components and can be divided into northwest and southeast segments according to different kinematics. The northwest segment shows right-lateral strike-slip with normal components, whereas it is characterized by dextral movements with the northeast wall thrusting over the opposite in the southeast segment. The offset landforms are well developed along the strike of the fault with displacements ranging from 3.7m to 830m. The Late Quaternary right-lateral slip rate was determined to be 2.3～4.0mm/a through dating and measuring on the offset features. The variation of the slip and uplift rates along the fault strike corresponds well to the fault kinematics segmentation: the slip rate on the northwest segment is above 3mm/a with an uplift rate of 0.6～0.8mm/a; however, influenced by the Xiaojiang Fault, the southeast segment shows apparent thrust components. The slip rate decreases to below 3.0mm/a with an uplift rate of 1.1mm/a, indicating different uplift between the northwest and southeast segments.     

昌平-丰南断裂构造浅层地震勘探新证据

昌平-丰南断裂是根据卫星遥感图像解译发现的一条隐伏活动断层,是NWW向张家口-蓬莱断裂带中规模最大的断裂,为进一步调查确认断裂的存在、空间位置、性质和断裂构造特征,并重新厘定其活动性,在卫星遥感影像解译断裂大体空间位置的基础上,布设了2条浅层地震勘探测线,对昌平-丰南断裂进行了高分辨率地震勘探,获得了测线控制范围内地下结构和断裂构造的清晰成像。结果表明,昌平-丰南断是一条倾向S、走向NWW的走滑正断层,浅层地震剖面揭示断层上断点埋深80~100 m,断错了上更新统底界,结合测线附近钻孔资料推测其最新活动时代为晚更新世。     

红河断裂带第四纪右旋走滑与尾端拉张转换关系研究

红河断裂带早第四纪以来发生的大规模右旋走滑运动，导致断裂北段尾端的质量亏损，形成了拉张区。右旋走滑量为７．１ｋｍ左右，拉张区右旋方向上的扩张量为５．３５ｋｍ左右，二者相互转换的量级是基本一致的，从而定量地证实了它们之间的成因联系     

Seismic analysis of the Xiluodu reservoir area and insights into the geometry of seismogenic faults

The Xiluodu (XLD) reservoir is the second largest reservoir in China and the largest in the Jinsha River basin. The occurrence of two M > 5 earthquakes after reservoir impoundment has aroused great interest among seismologists and plant operators. We comprehensively analyzed the seismicity of the XLD reservoir area using precise earthquake relocation results and focal mechanism solutions and found that the seismicity of this area was weak before impoundment. Following impoundment, earthquake activity increased significantly. The occurrence of M ≥ 3.5 earthquakes within five years of impoundment also appear to be closely related to rapid rises and falls in water level, though this correlation weakened after five years because earthquake activity was far from the reservoir area. Earthquakes in the XLD reservoir area are clustered; near the dam (Area A), small faults are intermittently distributed along the river, while Area B is composed of multiple NW-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults and a thrust fault and Area C is composed of a NW-trending left-lateral strike-slip main fault and a nearly EW-trending right-lateral strike-slip minor fault. The geometries of the deep and the shallow parts of the NW-trending fault differ. Under the action of the NW-trending background stress field, a series of NW-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults and NE-trending thrust faults in critical stress states were dislocated due to the stress caused by reservoir impoundment. The two largest earthquakes in the XLD reservoir area were tectonic earthquakes that were directly triggered by impoundment.     

A PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ON THE RIGHT-LATERAL STRIKE-SLIP CHARACTERISTICS AND THE STRUCTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NORTHERN KUANTANSHAN FAULTS,HEXI CORRIDER,BASED ON HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGERY

The sinistral strike-slip characteristic of the Altyn Tagh Fault gradually disappears near the Jiuxi Basin at the west end of Hexi Corridor, and the Kuantanshan Fault and the northern marginal fault of Heishan on its east are thrust structures. There are two faults distributed in the north of Kuantanshan, namely, the Taerwan-Chijiaciwo Fault and the Ganxiashan Fault, both are featured with obvious activity. Predecessors thought that the Taerwan-Chijiaciwo Fault is a thrust fault with low movement rate, but there is few detailed study on its horizontal motion. Is there horizontal strike-slip movement in the northern marginal fault of Kuantanshan? This issue has an important significance to further explore the structural transformation mode between the Altyn Tagh strike-slip faults and the northern thrust faults in the north margin of Qilianshan. Using high resolution remote sensing images and field work, such as combining with UAV SfM photogrammetry, the paper studies the strike-slip characteristics of the Taerwan-Chijiaciwo Fault and Ganxiashan Fault on the northern margin of Kuantanshan, and get two preliminary understandings:(1) The northern marginal fault of Kuantanshan is an active right-lateral strike-slip fault with thrust component, the horizontal to vertical dislocation ratio is about 3-4 times. Based on the statistics of dislocation amount of the gullies and terraces along the north marginal Kuantanshan fault, it is preliminarily estimated that the late Pleistocene right-lateral strike-slip rate is about 0.2-0.25 mm/a and the Holocene right-lateral strike-slip rate is about 0.5-1.5 mm/a. (2) The main driving force to the tectonics at the western end of Hexi Corridor, where the northern marginal fault of Kuantanshan locates, comes from the northward extrusion of the Qilian Mountains, which results in the right-lateral strike-slip of the northern marginal fault of Kuananshan and the thrust movement of several faults inside the Jiuxi Basin. The effect of the Altyn Tagh Fault on other tectonic structures is not obvious in this region.     

关于2021年5月滇西漾濞MS6.4地震序列特征及成因的初步研究

2021年5月21日21时48分在滇西苍山西麓漾濞地区发生MS6.4(MW6.1)强震,相关地震活动表现为一个典型的前震-主震-余震序列.本研究分别就该地震序列的构造背景、M1.0以上地震的双差定位、主要地震的矩张量反演和破裂传播方向、应力场反演及断层滑动趋势以及潮汐作用等方面进行了初步分析.矩张量反演结果表明,矩心深...     

Fault slip and modern tectonic stress field in and around Kunming basin

Kunming basin is a Cenozoic faulted basin under the control of mainly SN-trending active faults. In and around the basin, there are a total of eight major active faults. Seismo-geological survey and fault slip observation show that the SN- and NE-trending active faults are mostly sinistral strike-slip faults, while the NW-trending faults are mostly dextral strike-slip faults. Using stress tensor inversion method with 706 active fault striation data at 22 measurement sites, we determined tectonic stress field of the study area. The result shows that modern tectonic stress field in and around Kunming basin is characterized by NNW-SSE compression, ENE-WSW extension, and strike-slip stress regimes. The maximum principal compressional stress (σ1) is oriented 335o~2o, with an average dip angle of 21°; the minimum (σ3) is oriented 44o~93o, with an average dip angle of 14°, and the intermediate (σ2) has a high, or nearly vertical, dip angle. The inversion result from fault slip data is consistent with the result from focal mechanism solutions.     

A NEW DISCOVERY OF ACTIVITY OF FUSHAN SECTION OF THE TAN-LU FAULT ZONE IN THE LATE QUATERNARY

The east branch fault of Tan-Lu fault zone extends from Fengshan Town of Sihong County on the north shore of the Huaihe River in Jiangsu Province, into Fushan Town of Mingguang City on the south shore of Huaihe River in Anhui Province. The landform changes from Subei plain on the north of Huaihe River to Zhangbaling uplift area on the south of Huaihe River. The terrain rises gradually with larger relief amplitude. The Fushan section of the Tan-Lu fault zone is located in Ziyang to Fushan area of Mingguang City. The fault is shown in the satellite image as a clear linear image, and the fault extends along the east side of a NNE-trending hillock. In this section the Quaternary strata are unevenly distributed, which causes some difficulties in the study of recent fault activity.In recent years, the author has found that the fault of the Fushan section of the Tan-Lu fault zone on the south of the Huaihe River still has a certain control effect on the landform and the Quaternary strata. Based on satellite imagery and geological data, we select the appropriate location in the Fushan section to excavate the Santang trench Tc1 and Fushannan trench Tc2, and clean up the Fushannan profile Pm, which reveals rich phenomena of recent fault activity. Santang trench reveals three faults, and the faulting phenomenon is obvious. One of the faults shows the characteristic of right-lateral strike-slip normal faulting; Fushannan profile reveals one fault, with the same faulting behavior of right-lateral strike-slip normal fault. Comprehensive stratigraphic sample dating results indicate that the fault dislocated the middle Pleistocene strata, late Quaternary strata and early Holocene strata. All our work shows that the fault of Fushan section has intensive activity since late Pleistocene, and the latest active age can reach early Holocene. The latest earthquake occurred at(10.6±0.8)~(7.6±0.5)ka BP. The faults exposed by trenches and profiles show the characteristics of right-lateral strike-slip normal faulting, which reflects the complexity of the tectonic stress field in the area where the fault locates.     

FIRST REPORT OF BERO ZECO ACTIVE FAULT IN GÊRZÊ, NORTHERN TIBET

In the interior of the Tibetan Plateau, the active tectonics are primarily marked by conjugate strike slip faults and north-trending rifts, which represent the E-W extension since late Cenozoic of the plateau. The conjugate faults are mainly composed of NE-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults in Qiangtang terrane and NW-trending right-lateral strike-slip faults in Lhasa terrane. While, the rifts mainly strike N, NNW and NNE within southern Tibet. However, it is still a debate on the deformational style and specific adjustment mechanism of E-W extension. One of key reasons causing this debate is the lack of detailed investigation of these active faults, especially within the northwestern plateau. Recently, we found a 20km long, NNW-trending active fault at Bero Zeco in northwestern Tibet. This fault is presented as fault sag ponds, channel offsets and fault scarps. Displacement of channels and geomorphic features suggested that the Bero Zeco Fault(BZF)is a dextral strike-slip fault with a small amount of normal slip component, which may result from the E-W extensional deformation in the interior of Tibet. BZF strikes N330°~340°W, as shown on the satellite image. The main Quaternary strata in the studied area are two stages alluvial fans around the Bero Zeco. From the satellite images, the old alluvial fans were cut by the lake shoreline leaving many of lake terraces. And the young fans cut across the lake terraces and the old fans. By contrasting to the "Paleo-Qiangtang Huge Lake" since late Quaternary, these old alluvial fans could be late Pleistocene with age ranging from 40ka to 50ka. And the young fans could be Holocene. The sag ponds along the BZF are distributed in the late Pleistocene alluvial fans. Also, the BZF displaced the late Pleistocene fans without traces within Holocene fans, suggesting that the BZF is a late Pleistocene active fault. The fault scarps are gentler with the slope angle of around 10° and the vertical offset is about 2m by field measurement. Reconstruction of the offset of channels suggested that the accumulated dextral offset could be about 44m on the late Pleistocene alluvial fans. Therefore, we infer that the dextral slip-rate could be around 1mm/a showing a low-rate deformation characteristic. The angle between the strike of BZF and principal compressive stress axis(σ₁)is around 30°, which is significantly different to the other faults within the conjugate strike-slip fault zones that is 60°~75°. Now, the deformation mechanisms on these conjugate faults are mainly proposed in the studies of obtuse angle between the faults and σ₁, which is likely not applicable for the BZF. We infer that the BZF could be the northward prolongation of the north-trending rifts based on the geometry. This difference suggests that the conjugate strike-slip faults may be formed by two different groups:one is obtuse angle, which is related to block extrusion or shear zones in Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes possibly; the other is acute angle, which may represent the characteristics of new-born fractures. And more studies are needed on their deformation mechanisms.     

对1976年河北唐山MS7.8地震地表破裂带展布及位移特征的新认识

1976年河北唐山MS7.8地震发生之后,诸多资料报道了唐山市南侧展布的长8～11km的地震地表破裂带.该地表破裂带由10余条NE方向、具右旋走滑特征的地表破裂呈左阶形式组成,总体走向N30°E,最大右旋位移2.3m,多数地段的垂直位移为0.5 ～0.7m.近年有学者提出,在更大范围内出现的地表破坏现象.分辨这些地表破...     

吉林舒兰断裂带的基本特征

舒兰断裂带是东北地区著名的依兰—伊通断裂带的中段。本文从构造分析和历史发展的角度出发,阐述了舒兰断裂带的基本特征及其晚近时期新活动     

Late Cenozoic faulting in SW Bulgaria: Fault geometry,kinematics and driving stress regimes. Implications for late orogenic processes in the Hellenic hinterland

We investigate the geometry and kinematics of the faults exposed in basement rocks along the Strouma River in SW Bulgaria as well as the sequence of faulting events in order to place constraints on the Cenozoic kinematic evolution of this structurally complex domain. In order to decipher the successive stress fields that prevailed during the tectonic history, we additionally carried out an analysis of mesoscale striated faults in terms of paleostress with a novel approach. This approach is based on the P–T axes distribution of the fault-slip data, and separates the fault-slip data into different groups which are characterized by kinematic compatibility, i.e., their P and T axes have similar orientations. From these fault groups, stress tensors are resolved and in case these stress tensors define similar stress regimes (i.e., the orientations of the stress axes and the stress shape ratios are similar) then the fault groups are further unified. The merged fault groups after being filled out with those fault-slip data that have not been incorporated into the above described grouping, but which present similar geometric and kinematic features are used for defining the final stress regimes. In addition, the sequence of faulting events was constrained by available tectonostratigraphic data.Five faulting events named D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5 are distinguished since the Late Oligocene. D1 is a pure compression stress regime with σ₁ stress axis trending NNE-SSW that mainly activated the WNW-ESE to ENE-WSW faults as reverse to oblique reverse and the NNW-SSE striking as right-lateral oblique contractional faults during the Latest Oligocene-Earliest Miocene. D2 is a strike-slip − transpression stress regime with σ₁ stress axis trending NNE-SSW that mainly activated the NNW-SSE to N-S striking as right-lateral strike-slip faults and the ENE-WSW striking faults as left-lateral strike-slip ones during the Early-Middle Miocene. D3 extensional event is associated with a NW-SE to WNW-ESE extension causing the activation of mainly low-angle normal faults of NE-SW strike and NNE-SSW to NNW-SSE striking high-angle normal faults. D4 is an extensional event dated from Late Miocene to Late Pliocene. It activated NNW-SSE to NW-SE faults as normal faults and E-W to WNW-ESE faults as right-lateral oblique extensional faults. The latest D5 event is an N-S extensional stress regime that dominates the wider area of SW Bulgaria in Quaternary times. It mainly activated faults that generally strike E-W (ENE-WSW and WNW-ESE) normal faults, along which fault-bounded basins developed. The D1 and D2 events are interpreted as two progressive stages of transpressional tectonics related to the late stages of collision between Apulia and Eurasia plates. These processes gave rise to the lateral extrusion of the Rhodope and Balkan regions toward the SE along the Strouma Lineament. The D3 event is attributed to the latest stage of this collision, and represents the relaxation of the overthickened crust along the direction of the lateral extrusion. The D4 and D5 events are interpreted as post-orogenic extensional events related to the retreat of the Hellenic subduction zone since the Late Miocene and to the widespread back-arc Aegean extension still prevailing today.     

川滇交界东段昭通、莲峰断裂带的地震危险背景

川滇交界东段NE向昭通、莲峰断裂带的研究程度较低.为了了解该断裂带是否存在发生强震/大地震的危险背景,我们基于区域活动构造与动力学、重新定位的小震分布和震源机制解、历史地震破裂区、GPS形变场、现代地震活动及其参数图像等多学科的信息进行综合研究.结果表明:昭通、莲峰断裂带是川滇-华南活动块体/地块边界带的一部分,也是活动及变形的大凉山次级块体与相对稳定的华南地块之间的边界带;结构上表现为2个平行展布、朝南东推覆的断裂带,现今运动为带有显著逆冲分量的右旋走滑性质.沿昭通断裂带无大地震的时间至少为1700 余年,目前存在地震空区.GPS变形图像反映昭通、莲峰断裂带已不同程度闭锁.另外,昭通断裂带的鲁甸附近以及莲峰断裂带的南段分别存在异常低b值区或高应力区.已由低b值区和小震空白区识别出昭通断裂带上的鲁甸—彝良之间存在高应力闭锁段,并估计出其潜在地震的最大矩震级为MW7.4.本研究因此认为昭通断裂带存在发生强震/大地震的中-长期危险背景, 而莲峰断裂带的危险性还需进一步研究.     

由震源机制解推断唐山地震序列发震断层的分段特征

使用唐山地区2002年1月—2015年11月M_L≥2.5地震的255个震源机制解, 采用构造应力场均匀性的分段方法对唐山地震序列的发震断层进行分段． 在已有唐山地区震源机制解分区特征的基础上, 给出了5个参考应力张量, 并通过差异显著性的z值检验计算将唐山地震序列的发震断层分为宁河、 唐山、 滦县和卢龙等4个子段, 进而分别对4个子段的应力场进行反演． 结果显示: 4个子段的最大主压应力方向均呈近EW向, 且唐山、 宁河和卢龙子段的应力场均表现出较大的拉张分量; 唐山、 宁河子段的最佳应力张量与唐山主震对唐山断裂带两端点所产生的引张应力场的作用方式一致． 此外, 唐山子段的应力场符合基于接收函数给出的上地幔物质隆升模型, 滦县子段走滑型的应力状态反映了该区的共轭构造运动, 卢龙子段的最佳应力张量为正断兼右旋走滑． 从当前唐山地震序列发震断层分段的应力场特征可以推断, 现今唐山地区的地震活动具有继承性, 主要受区域构造应力场和该区深、 浅共存的断裂构造体系控制．      

2008年汶川地震断层北川段的几何学与运动学特征及地震地质灾害效应

2008年5月12日MS8.0 汶川大地震的主要发震断层是龙门山断裂带的映秀—北川断裂.本研究通过地震后的实地调查和地震前后高空间分辨率航空与卫星影像的解译,对映秀—北川断裂带北川段（擂鼓镇—曲山镇）同震地表破裂带的几何学与运动学特征及相关地震地质灾害进行了详细分析.研究结果表明5·12汶川大地震沿映秀—北川断裂带产生的地表破裂带正穿过北川县城—曲山镇中心,并在曲山镇周围诱发了一系列大型滑坡和岩崩等地质灾害,致使北川县城遭到毁灭性破坏.野外考察表明北川段最大逆冲量和右旋走滑量都达8~10 m,这也是映秀—北川地表地震破裂带中位移量最大的地段.同时,值得注意的是曲山镇一带正是地震断层几何学和运动学特征改变的转换地带：曲山镇及其南西部断层倾向北西,呈现以逆冲为主兼右旋走滑的特征;在曲山镇北东断层倾向南东,表现为右旋走滑分量与垂直分量相当,走滑活动特征更明显.研究结果还表明,逆冲-走滑型（或斜向逆冲型）同震地表破裂带的几何学和运动学特征直接影响地震地质灾害及其破坏程度,地震地质灾害的分布表现出明显的不对称性：断层NW盘（上盘）远远强于SE盘（下盘）.地震断层的几何学特征与断层运动的应力及坡向的自由面之间相互作用,加强了滑坡、岩崩等地质灾害的破坏力.因此,汶川大地震为我们研究逆冲-走滑型同震地表破裂的几何学、运动学特征及其地震地质灾害效应提供了契机.     

Structural analysis and interpretation of the surface deformation associated with the Ning’er, Yunnan Province, China M S6.4 earthquake of June 3, 2007

The seismogenic fault and the dynamic mechanism of the Ning’er, Yunnan Province MS6.4 earthquake of June 3, 2007 are studied on the basis of the observation data of the surface fissures, sand blow and water eruption, land-slide and collapse associated with the earthquake, incorporating with the data of geologic structures, focal mecha-nism solutions and aftershock distribution for the earthquake area. The observation of the surface fissures reveals that the Banhai segment of the NW-trending Ning’er fault is dominated by right-lateral strike-slip, while the NNE-trending fault is dominated by left-lateral strike-slip. The seismo-geologic hazards are concentrated mainly within a 330°-extending zone of 13.5 km in length and 4 km in width. The major axis of the isoseismal is also oriented in 330° direction, and the major axis of the seismic intensity VIII area is 13.5 km long. The focal mechanism solutions indicate that the NW-trending nodal plane of the Ning’er MS6.4 earthquake is dominated by right-lateral slip, while the NE-trending nodal plane is dominated by left-lateral slip. The preferred distribution orientation of the aftershocks of MS≥2 is 330°, and the focal depths are within the range of 3~12 km, predominantly within 3~10 km. The distribution of the aftershocks is consistent with the distribution zone of the seismo-geologic hazards. All the above-mentioned data indicate that the Banhai segment of the Ning’er fault is the seismogenic fault of this earthquake. Moreover, the driving force of the Ning’er earthquake is discussed in the light of the active block theory. It is believed that the northward pushing of the Indian plate has caused the eastward slipping of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which has been transformed into the southeastern-southernward squeezing of the southwest Yunnan region. As a result, the NW-trending faults in the vicinity of the Ning’er area are dominated by right-lateral strike-slip, while the NE-trending faults are dominated by left-lateral strike-slip. This tectonic     

Discovery of the Longriba fault zone in eastern Bayan Har block,China and its tectonic implication

Re-measured GPS data have recently revealed that a broad NE trending dextral shear zone exists in the eastern Bayan Har block about 200 km northwest of the Longmenshan thrust on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The strain rate along this shear zone may reach up to 4-6 mm/a. Our interpretation of satellite images and field observations indicate that this dextral shear zone corresponds to a newly generated NE trending Longriba fault zone that has been ignored before. The northeast segment of the Longriba fault zone consists of two subparallel N54°±5°E trending branch faults about 30 km apart, and late Quaternary offset landforms are well developed along the strands of these two branch faults. The northern branch fault, the Longriqu fault, has relatively large reverse component, while the southern branch fault, the Maoergai fault, is a pure right-lateral strike slip fault. According to vector synthesizing principle, the average right-lateral strike slip rate along the Longriba fault zone in the late Quaternary is calculated to be 5.4±2.0 mm/a, the vertical slip rate to be 0.7 mm/a, and the rate of crustal shortening to be 0.55 mm/a. The discovery of the Longriba fault zone may provide a new insight into the tectonics and dynamics of the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Taken the Longriba fault zone as a boundary, the Bayan Har block is divided into two sub-blocks: the Ahba sub-block in the west and the Longmenshan sub-block in the east. The shortening and uplifting of the Longmenshan sub-block as a whole reflects that both the Longmenshan thrust and Longriba fault zone are subordinated to a back propagated nappe tectonic system that was formed during the southeastward motion of the Bayan Har block owing to intense resistance of the South China block. This nappe tectonic system has become a boundary tectonic type of an active block supporting crustal deformation along the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from late Cenozoic till now. The Longriba fault zone is just an active fault zone newly-generated in late Quaternary along this tectonic system.