Differential Tectonic Deformation of the Longmen Mountain Thrust Belt,Western Sichuan Basin,China

Field investigation and seismic section explanation showed that the Longmen Mountain Thrust Belt has obvious differential deformation: zonation, segmentation and stratification. Zonation means that, from NW to NE, the Longmen Mountain Thrust Belt can be divided into the Songpan‐Garzê Tectonic Belt, ductile deformation belt, base involved thrust belt, frontal fold‐thrust belt, and foreland depression. Segmentation means that it can be divided into five segments from north to south: the northern segment, the Anxian Transfer Zone, the center segment, the Guanxian Transfer Zone and the southern segment. Stratification means that the detachment layers partition the structural styles in profile. The detachment layers in the Longmen Mountain Thrust Belt can be classified into three categories: the deep‐level detachment layers, including the crust‐mantle system detachment layer, intracrustal detachment layer, and Presinian system basal detachment layer; the middle‐level detachment layers, including Cambrian‐Ordovician detachment layer, Silurian detachment layer, etc.; and shallow‐level detachment layers, including Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation detachment layer and the Jurassic detachment layers. The multi‐level detachment layers have a very important effect on the shaping and evolution of Longmen Mountain Thrust Belt.