Segmentation of the Kepingtage thrust fault based on paleoearthquake ruptures, southwestern Tianshan, China

Decreasing deformation rates across the southern Tianshan have led to different seismogenic mechanisms and different proposed models to explain the orogen-scale fault kinematics. In this study, we focus on the segmentation of the Kepingtage fault by studying variations in the total offset and shortening rates of the Kepingtage fault along the southern front of the Tianshan. We used fault scarp mapping and trench excavations to assess fault segmentation and deformation on the Kepingtage fault. Our results indicate there are different shortening rates on the western (2.5–2.7 mm/year) versus the eastern segments (~ 0.3 mm/year), which are separated by the Piqiang tear fault. The decrease in shortening rates is not gradual; instead, it decreases sharply from west to east at the Piqiang fault. These segmentation boundaries are also supported by geodetic data and balanced structural restorations. Our data support a model where strike-slip faults accommodate step-changes in the deformation rates and the earthquake risks from west to east across the Tianshan.