On May 22, 2021, an M_S7.4 earthquake occurred in Maduo County, Guoluo Prefecture, Qinghai Province, which is the biggest earthquake in mainland China since the 2008 Wenchuan M_S8.0 earthquake. It occurred in the Bayan Har block in the northern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, indicating that the Bayan Har block is still the main area for strong earthquakes activity in mainland China. In order to study the source characteristics and seismogenic structure of the Maduo earthquake, we used the double-difference location method to analyze the spatial distribution of earthquake sequences within 15 days after the mainshock. At the same time, the focal mechanism solutions of 15 aftershocks with M_S≥4.0 are also obtained by full-waveform moment tensor inversion. We hope to provide seismological evidences with reference value for the study of the dynamic process of the Madao M_S7.4 earthquake and the geological tectonic activities on the northern side of the Bayan Hala block.

The results of moment tensor inversion show that the moment magnitude of the Maduo earthquake is about 7.24, the centroid depth is 13km, and the best double-couple solution is strike 283°, dip 59° and slip -4° for the nodal plane I, and strike 15°, dip 86° and slip -149° for the nodal plane Ⅱ, which indicates a strike-slip earthquake event. According to the strike of the fault and the distribution of aftershocks in the source area, we infer that the nodal plane I, which strikes NWW, is the seismogenic fault plane. The focal mechanism results of 15 aftershocks show that the aftershock sequence is mainly strike-slip type, which is consistent with the main shock. Meanwhile, there are also some other types reflecting the local complex structure. The differences in the direction and type of focal mechanism may reveal changes in the direction and characteristic of the fault from north to south. The azimuth of the P-axis is NE-SWW, and the azimuth of the T-axis is NNW-SSE. Both plunge angles are within 30° and close to horizontal, which shows that the activities of the Maduo earthquake sequence are mainly controlled by the horizontal compression stress field in the northeast-southwest direction. From NWW to SEE, the dip angle of fault plane increases gradually from 77° to 88°, and the northern segment dips to SW.

Based on the results of relocation, moment tensor inversion and geological structure, preliminary conclusion can be drawn that the seismogenic fault of the Maduo earthquake may be the Kunlun Mountain Pass-Jiangcu Fault, which is a left-handed strike-slip fault. At the same time, there are certain segmental differences along the fault. The strike of the northern section is mainly NW, that of the middle section is NWW, and the southern section is near E-W, and the fault plane dips to the southwest with the dip angle increasing gradually from NWW to SEE.