The Wudaoliang–Changshagongma fault is one of the NW-trending faults located within the southern Bayan Har Block of the Tibetan Plateau in China. In this paper, we used high-resolution imagery and digital elevation model data to study the geomorphological and geological characteristics of the fault. Furthermore, the result also determined the fault trace and estimated the average horizontal slip rate of the fault since the late Quaternary to have been 2.6 ± 0.6 mm/a. This slip rate is approximately equivalent to that of the Awancang, Madoi–Garde, and Dari faults, which are also located within the block. Furthermore, the slip rates of these faults obtained by remote sensing and geological methods are consistent with GPS observations. It indicates that tectonic deformation within the block is continuous and diffuse. Using trenching study results and sedimentary radiocarbon dating, we identified four paleoearthquake events that occurred at 42,378–32,975, 33,935–20,663, 5052–4862, and after 673–628 cal BP, respectively. The recurrence intervals of large earthquakes on the faults within the block are much longer than those of the boundary faults, and the slip rates are also smaller, indicating that faults within the block play a regulatory role in the tectonic deformation of the Bayan Har Block.

The Jinshajiang fault zone is the western boundary fault of the Sichuan–Yunnan block, located east of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. It is a complex tectonic suture belt with multi-phase activity and is characterized by multiple sets of parallel or intersecting faults. Using high-resolution image interpretation, seismic geological surveys, and trench studies, we examined the Holocene activity and obtained the paleoseismic sequences on the middle segment of the fault zone. Thus, we could analyze the kinematic characteristics of the fault and its potential risk of strong earthquakes. Our results indicated that the predominant movement of the fault zone was strike-slip motion. In the Jinshajiang fault zone, the Late Quaternary horizontal slip rates of the north-northeast-trending Yarigong fault and the northeast-trending Ciwu fault were 3.6 ± 0.6 mm/a and 2.5 ± 0.5 mm/a, respectively. Three paleoseismic events were identified on the Yarigong fault, dated 6745–3848, 3742–1899, and 1494–1112 cal BP, and on the Ciwu fault, constrained to 32,566–29,430, 24,056–22,990, and 2875–2723 cal BP. The last major earthquake on the Ciwu fault occurred approximately 2800 years ago; therefore, its future seismic hazard deserves attention.

The Jinshajiang fault zone is the western boundary fault of the Sichuan–Yunnan block, located east of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. It is a complex tectonic suture belt with multi-phase activity and is characterized by multiple sets of parallel or intersecting faults. Using high-resolution image inter-pretation, seismic geological surveys and trench studies, we examine the characteristics of the Holocene activity on the middle segment of the fault zone. Our results indicate that the predomi-nant movement of the fault zone is strike-slip motion. In the Jinshajiang fault zone, the Late Qua-ternary horizontal slip rate of the north-northeast–trending Yarigong fault and the north-east-trending Ciwu fault are 3.6 ± 0.6 mm/a and 2.5 ± 0.5 mm/a, respectively. Three palaeoseismic events were identified on the Yarigong fault, dated 6745–3848, 3742–1899 and 1494–1112 cal BP, and on the Ciwu fault, constrained to 32,566–29,430, 24,056–22,990 and 2875–2723 cal BP. The last major earthquake on the Ciwu fault occurred approximately 2800 years ago; therefore, its future seismic hazard deserves attention.

The Abuduo Fault is a Holocene left-lateral strike-slip fault located on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, potentially connecting eastward with the Garzê–Yushu Fault. Due to its high-altitude setting, this fault remains poorly studied, and knowledge of its detailed surface geometry and slip rate is still insufficient. Using GF-7 and other multi-source remote sensing data, field surveys, semi-automatic offset extraction software, and radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating, we determined the fault’s fine surface geometry, offsets, and slip rate. The results show that the fault can be divided into western, central, and eastern segments based on geometric discontinuities. The central segment consists of four right-stepping en echelon faults. The western and central segments are separated by a left-stepping compressional ridge with a step-over width of ~3.1 km, while the central and eastern segments are separated by a right-stepping pull-apart basin with a step-over width of ~9.4 km. Offsets generally increase from west to east. The western and central segments may exhibit stronger Late Quaternary activity, but this understanding remains to be further validated. Based on offset measurement and the dating of a typical offset gully, the Holocene slip rate of the western segment is estimated at 2.5–2.8 mm/yr.