The Xiaojiang fault zone is located in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau, the boundary faults of Sichuan-Yunnan block and South China block. The largest historical earthquake in Yunnan Province, with magnitude 8 occurred on the western branch of the Xiaojiang Fault in Songming County, 1833. Research on the Late Quaternary surface deformation and strong earthquake rupture behavior on the Xiaojiang Fault is crucial to understand the future seismic risk of the fault zone and the Sichuan-Yunnan region, even crucial for the study of tectonic evolution of the southeastern margin of Tibetan plateau. We have some new understanding through several large trenches excavated on the western branch of the Xiaojiang fault zone. We excavated a large trench at Caohaizi and identified six paleoseismic events, named U through Z from the oldest to the youngest. Ages of these six events are constrained at 40000-36300BC, 35400-24800BC, 9500BC-500AD, 390-720AD, 1120-1620AD and 1750AD-present. The Ganhaizi trench revealed three paleoearthquakes, named GHZ-E1 to GHZ-E3 from the oldest to the youngest. Ages of the three events are constrained at 3300BC-400AD, 770-1120AD, 1460AD-present. The Dafendi trench revealed three paleoearthquakes, named E1 to E3 from the oldest to the youngest, and their ages are constrained at 22300-19600BC, 18820-18400BC, and 18250-present. Caohaizi and Ganhaizi trenches are excavated on the western branch of the Xiaojiang Fault, the distance between them is 400m. We constrained four late Holocene paleoearthquakes with progressive constraining method, which are respectively at 500-720AD, 770-1120AD, AD 1460-1620 and 1833AD, with an average recurrence interval of 370~440a. Large earthquake recurrence in the late Holocene is less than the recurrence interval of~900a as proposed in the previous studies. Thus, the seismic hazard on the Xiaojiang Fault should be reevaluated. We excavated a large trench at Dafendi, about 30km away south of Caohaizi trench. Combining with previous paleoseismological research, it is found that the western branch of Xiaojiang Fault was likely to be dominated by segmented rupturing in the period from late of Late Pleistocene to early and middle Holocene, while it was characterized by large earthquakes clustering and whole segment rupturing since late Holocene.

As one of the rhombic blocks in North China, Kaifeng depression is on the south of the northern Huabei depression and in the north of the southern Huabei depression, bounded by Xinxiang-Shangqiu Fault and Zhengzhou-Kaifeng Fault, respectively. So far, the activity of Zhengzhou-Kaifeng Fault during Kainozoic era and the relationship between Zhengzhou-Kaifeng Fault and Xinxiang-Shangqiu Fault is still unknown. We interpreted several deep seismic profiles across Taikang uplift and Kaifeng depression on the basis of the strata sequence exposed by the 8 drill holes in the related area. The outcomes indicate that the Zhengzhou-Kaifeng Fault strikes EW on the whole, presenting undulating feature in plain, with a length about 154km. The profiles show the dip angle of the fault is steeper in the shallow than that in the deep, with an obvious "L-shaped" turning point. In Paleogene, the fault was a normal fault. In its hanging wall, the Kaifeng depression, there deposited hundreds of meters of Eogene. After middle Himalayan movement, Zhengzhou-Kaifeng Fault converted to a strike-slip fault, the dip angle became steeper, but the activity became weaker. The Zhengzhou-Kaifeng Fault ended its activity before Quaternary. As a response to the compression in the footwall caused by the sustained sinistral shearing, there developed a series of NW-trending, en echelon wide and gentle folds. Then, the activity in Kaifeng depression shifted to its north boundary.

On the basis of dividing and comparison of the Neogene strata and their bottoms revealed by 7 drill holes in Taikang area, we completed 101 seismic profiles with a total length of 4991km. Seismic data were compared and interpreted. The results indicate that Xinzheng-Taikang Fault, as a blind fault extending from Xinzheng to Taikang, which was considered as an EW striking fault from Xuchang to Taikang before, is the boundary of Taikang uplift and Zhoukou depression, controlling the sedimentation since Neogene Period. So we named the fault the Xinzheng-Taikang Fault, which is composed of two branches, mainly, the east and west branches. The west branch strikes northwest, dipping northeast with steep angles, and the fault plane extending more than 140km in length. As revealed on the seismic profiles, the eastern segment of the west branch is normal fault, while the west segment of the branch shows characteristics of strike-slip fault. The east branch trends NW-NEE, dipping SW-SSE with the length of about 50km. Two branches form a minus flower structure, indicating the strike slip-extension tectonic background. The bottom of Neogene strata is offset about 120m by the east branch, 20m by the west branch, and the bottom of Quaternary is probably offset too. Meanwhile, latest studies suggest that the composite strip of the two branches of Xinzheng-Taikang Fault, which is a tectonic transfer zone, is the subduction zone between the two strike-slip faults. The tectonic stress tends to be released by the east-west branch fault, and the zone should be the seismogenic structure for the recent seismicity in Taikang area. In 2010, the latest earthquake ofM_S4.7 occurred in this area, causing 12 people wounded. The seismogenic structure was considered to be the Xinzheng-Taikang Fault. So locating the fault exactly is of great importance to disaster prevention.

Existing achievements about Baotou Fault demonstrate it as a buried eastern boundary of the Baiyanhua Basin in Hetao active fault subsidence zone,striking NE.More data is needed to assess its activity.Located in the relay ramp between Wulashan Fault and Daqingshan Fault,Baotou Fault's activity is of great importance to discuss the linkage mode and the response to the earthquake of the adjacent fault.Also it is necessary to the knowledge of the characteristic of the seismic tectonic in local area.Recently it is prevalent to combine shallow seismic profile and composite drilling section to study the activity of the buried fault.Shallow seismic profile indicates that Baotou Fault is a normal fault,inclining to NW.The displacement of the Tg at 75m underground is 25m.Composite drilling section indicates that it is a growth fault,the up-break point of which is 45.6m underground and ends in brownish red clay strata of early Pleistocene.In comparison,the upper Late Pleistocene strata are out of the influences of the tectonic subsidence zone.Baotou Fault's activity is limited to the early Pleistocene.

Active fault is one of potential geohazards in cities. Locating and dating buried active faults in urban areas have been a difficult issue in active fault exploration. In this paper, we take the detection of the buried active fault performed at Hehuan Road in the north of Suqian city as an example. We preliminarily mapped the fault through field investigation and shallow seismic reflection survey technique. Furthermore, based on the principle of doubling section method, we conducted multiple drilling to constrain the upper faulted point which is located in a range of 5m in horizon and 4.4~6.1m in depth. Finally, we determined the exact location and latest activity of the fault by trenching. Obviously, good results have been acquired on the accurate location and activity of the Suqian segment of Anqiu-Juxian Fault using multi-level and multi-means detection method. Besides, we observed from the detection at the Hehuan Road site that at least four paleoseismic events occurred during the past 80000 yrs, and the result indicates that the latest faulting event on the fault is younger than(5.9±0.3)ka BP and the buried active fault at the Hehuan Road is a Holocene active fault. The result of buried active fault detection at the Hehuan Road site provides quantitative parameters for evaluation of seismic hazards and planning the width of safety distance in Suqian City.

In general,the displacement produced by a magnitude 6～7 earthquake is relatively small,even does not reach the surface,so it is difficult to be preserved in geological records. On the other hand,the seismogenic fault of such earthquakes is easy to be considered incorrectly as a non-active fault since Holocene,consequently overlooking the real seismic hazard in the future. To solve this problem,we propose a type of faults that are capable of generating M6～7 earthquakes,but with weak surface activity and cannot produce conspicuous surface displacement. To recognize such faults from geological records,which have no visible evidence of activity since middle-late Pleistocene,is the key to intermediate-and long-term earthquake prediction. The specific procedures of the technology are as follows: First,we determine the seismotectonic setting of the tectonic system in which the target fault lies. Second,we establish the relation between the target fault and other active faults in the same tectonic system,which have records of historical earthquakes or paleoearthquakes. Then we compare varied seismogenic units in the same-order structure,same tectonic system,and varied stages in the same tectonic process. The case studies demonstrate that this is an effective method for intermediate-and long-term earthquake prediction. The cases studied include the Puduhe-Xishan Fault in Kunming City,Hanzhong Basin in the north section of the Longmen Shan Fault zone,Dachuan-Shuangshi Fault in the south section of the Longmen Shan Fault zone,and the Guguan-Guoshun Fault of the Longxian-Baoji Fault zone. These faults all show weak activities on the surface and have potential for earthquakes with estimated magnitude 6.5～7.0.In addition,by estimation using this method,the Taoyuan-Guichuan Fault of the Longxian-Baoji Fault zone has a seismic risk of M6.0～6.5 earthquake,and the Longxian-Qima-Mazhao Fault is capable of producing an earthquake about M7.5.

Lingqiu Basin is located in the northeast of the Shanxi graben system,where a M_S 7.0 earthquake occurred in 1626.The achievement of active fault research in this basin could contribute not only to the study of the seismogenic structure of the earthquake in 1626,but also to the research of the types of large earthquakes in Shanxi graben system. Much work has been conducted here,laying the foundation for the active fault study in this area. However,the spatial distribution and activity of several major faults,and the seismogenic structure of the earthquake in 1626 are still in discussion. This paper analyzes the geomorphologic characteristics in the whole basin via interpreting SPOT5 images,SRTM3 and fieldwork,and acquires some new knowledge of the major faults in combination with trenching. The activity of the main segment of the piedmont fault of Taibaiwei Mountains is limited to the late Pleistocene; The NEE-striking Shuijian-Luoshuihe Fault has obvious geomorphic features to the west of Lingqiu County,and the geomorphic feature of the fault is not remarkable to the east of the county. Its latest event left a 1m-high fault scarp on the surface. The NW-striking Huashanhe Fault behaves as a hinge fault. In the northern basin,the fault dips west,producing a height difference of about 10m in terrace T1 of the Huashanhe River. In the southern basin,the fault dips east. Profiles and geomorphic features show the south segment of the fault is an active strike-slip fault with a high angle. Thus,we consider the earthquake in 1626 resulted from the conjugated action of the NEE-striking Shuijian-Luoshuihe Fault and the NW-striking Huashanhe Fault.