Discovery of the Surface Rupture Zone on the South of Helishan in Gaotai,Gansu Province

According to a new investigation in the northern Hexi corridor,the remains of two surface rupture zones were discovered on the southern margin fault of the Helishan. One rupture has a length of approximately 7km and the other 10km. The two surface rupture zones might have been produced by the latest earthquake event. On the surface rupture is continuous scarp and free face caused by the rupture. The scarp is about 1 ～ 1. 5m high and on some sites,nearly up to 2m. According to the OSL results,the latest T1 terrace and higher flood plain forming in 3000a B. P. are dislocated by the fault. The above reveals the rupture age to be later than the T1 terrace. However,in the historical data and earthquake catalogue,we didn't find related information about the fault and surface rupture in this area. The 180 A. D. Biaoshi M8. 0 earthquake and the 756 A. D. Zhangye-Jiuquan M7. 0 earthquake are documented in historical data. It is inferred by textual research that the two earthquakes are related to the northern marginal fault of Yumushan in the south of the basin. Due to a lack of reliable evidence,there are still many arguments on this inferred conclusion. Thus we hold that the two surface rupture zones were produced by one of the two large earthquakes or other unrecorded historical event. The research on the activity and surface rupture of this fault can offer valuable information for the tectonic study and strong earthquake risk estimates of this region in the future.