The Characteristics of Quartz Micro-morphology of The Fault Gouge in Bailongjiang Fault System and Its Chronology

A great deal of important information referring to fault motion (such as fault activities period, intensity, frequency, and even dynamic background, etc.) can be revealed by resolving fault gouge, which are the special result of fault motion while extruding or grinding. Based on the field investigation, collected from Bailongjiang fault system of Western Qinling Orogenic (QO) Belt, 44 samples of fault gouge were for quartz micro-morphology observation and statistics by the field emission SEM, and 14 samples were tested by thermo-luminescence dating. The results showed that most of the micro-morphology of quartz grains are fish scale and orange-haut fractures, but a small amount of moss-like, stalactitic, and subconchoidal fractures. Also very few decay of quartz grains and typical conchoids fracture quartz grains can be seen. This implied that the Bailongjiang fault system was motioned repeatedly in Quaternary period but main motion period was Pleistocene. 14 thermo-luminescence dating values showed herewith two groups as 343.29-184.06 ka and 92.18-13.87 ka. Therefore, the conclusions can be reached that the fault system were motioned starting at Pliocene epoch, frequently in the middle of Pleistocene (343.29-184.06 ka), and peak frequency in late Pleistocene (92.18-13.87 ka). The fault system motions have stopped at Holocene. The results are significant for the natural disaster risk evaluation in western QO region.