Analyses and interpretations of 1m‐resolution IKONOS, and 61cm‐resolution QuickBird images reveal that the distribution of strike‐slip offsets and ground deformation characteristics of the coseismic surface rupture produced by the 2001 M w 7.8 Kunlun earthquake occurred in the western segment of the strike‐slip Kunlun fault, northern Tibet. The 2001 coseismic strike‐slip offsets measured from IKONOS images range from 2 m up to 16.7 m, generally 3–8 m, which are generally consistent with those measured immediately in the field after the earthquake. The coseismic surface ruptures along which offsets were observed are mainly composed of a numerous of en echelon shear faults and cracks which are concentrated on a rupture zone ranging from a few meters up to ∼500 m in width. The offsets measured along individual shear faults or crack are typically 2–7 m, but up to >10 m in several locations. Our results show that high resolution remote sensing imagery provides a powerful tool for measuring coseismic strike‐slip offsets and detecting the ground deformation produced by a large earthquake in the remote and high mountain Tibet region.