Geometry and late Pleistocene slip rates of the Liangdang-Jiangluo fault in the western Qinling mountains, NW China

• Average thrust and strike slip rate of Liangdang-Jiangluo fault is determined.
• The slip rates of faults on the western QL mountains are around 1 mm/a or lower.
• The decadal GPS velocity suggests that WQL is experiencing slow motions.
• The NWW-trending faults of the WQL played a role in deformation transformation.
• The slip rate of EKLF is not transferred to the WQLF or further north.

Two groups of faults striking in different direction (NWW-trending and NEE-trending) within the western Qinling mountains play important roles in the tectonic deformation and the transference slip along the east end of the east Kunlun fault. We investigated the fault geometry and kinematics properties in the area. Based on the displacements of landforms and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques, the late Pleistocene slip rates along the Liangdang-Jiangluo fault were determined to be 0.43 ± 0.13 mm/a (thrust) and 0.71 ± 0.18 mm/a (left-lateral strike-slip). We also investigated some other faults, and obtained characteristically low slip rates. These slip rates are consistent with decadal GPS observations. Despite previous studies that point to a systematic decrease in the left-lateral slip rates from > 10 mm/a to < 2 mm/a along the eastern end of the Kunlun fault, there has been relatively little discussion about the role of the faults, that lie between the east Kunlun and west Qinling faults in accommodating the regional tectonic deformation. From the activity, geometry, and kinematics of the regional faults in the western Qinling Mountains, we concluded that the main driving force that arises from the NE-thrusting and strike slip along the east Kunlun fault dominated the deformation in the area. Our results suggest that the < 2 mm/a slip rate at the tip of the east Kunlun fault is absorbed by low slip rate faults, crustal shortening, basin formation and mountain uplift in the western Qinling mountains, and the slip is not transferred to the west Qinling fault or further north.