Late Quaternary tectonic activity and shortening rate of the Beiluntai fault zone in the South Tianshan, Xinjiang, NW China

Abstract

The Beiluntai fault is a Holocene active fault and is the boundary fault between the South Tianshan and Tarim Basin. Since the Late Quaternary, the continuous activities of the Beiluntai fault have caused dislocation, deformation, and fold uplift of multi-phase alluvial geomorphologic surfaces. Using a high-precision differential global positioning system, we measured the fault scarp morphology of multi-phase geomorphologic surfaces in the Akeaiken and Zhuanchang sections of the Beiluntai fault. Via large-scale active fault mapping, we found that the Akeaiken section is dominated by thrusting, while the Zhuanchang section is dominated by fold uplift. We obtained the ages of the different phases of the geomorphologic surfaces (Fan4, Fan3b, Fan3c, and Fan2) using the optically stimulated luminescence dating method. We found that since the formation of the Fan4 geomorphologic surface, the crustal shortening rate (approximately 2.4 mm/a) of the Akeaiken section has remained basically constant. However, the crustal shortening rate of the Zhuanchang section in the south–north direction (1.43–1.81 mm/a) during the Late Quaternary was significantly less than that in the Akeaiken section, suggesting that the crustal shortening rate in the south–north direction of the Beiluntai fault zone decreases from west to east. A comprehensive comparison of the South Tianshan piedmont thrust-and-fold belt system also showed that the crustal shortening rate decreases from west to east.