The stress pattern and slip tendency in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions under a new active-tectonic block framework

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ID: 323826
2026
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Abstract
Summary In 2024, China Earthquake Administration developed the Active Block 2.0 model for the Tibetan Plateau. Based on this framework, we integrated an updated database of 7 759 focal mechanism solutions to calculate the stress field across the entire plateau and its secondary active blocks. We then calculated slip tendency along the boundaries of the secondary active blocks. The results indicate that the stress field orientations vary systematically from south to north across the Tibetan Plateau. From south to north, the stress field gradually rotates. In the northwestern Tibetan Plateau, the stress orientation undergoes a clockwise rotation of approximately 25°. It then deflects by approximately 45° at the northeastern margin, indicating northeast-directed compressive stress. Meanwhile, from west to east, the stress direction rotates significantly clockwise, resulting in nearly east-west compression along the western margin of the Sichuan Basin. Along the southeastern margin, it further rotates to ENE-WSW orientation. These deflections reflect variations in the stress regime across different regions of the Tibetan Plateau, highlighting the influence of regional rheological properties. Furthermore, the stress field among these secondary blocks indicates that the central Lhasa block exhibits extensional stress regime, while its flanking blocks show strike-slip with extensional stress regimes. The central Qiangtang block shows a strike-slip stress regime, whereas the eastern Qiangtang and Litang west blocks develop an extensional stress regime. Within the Bayan Har block, the stress state exhibits lateral heterogeneity. From west to east, four secondary blocks progressively transition through different stress regimes: extension, extension with strike-slip, strike-slip, and finally compressional in the easternmost part of the block. Further north, the region experiences compressive stress, and localized strike-slip stress fields develop within the Gonghe and Qinghai blocks. In the southeastern margin, the Litang east and Litang west blocks display strike-slip and extensional stress states, respectively. A strike-slip regime characterizes the Dian southeast block, whereas the Daliangshan block exhibits strike-slip with a compression stress regime. These findings provide essential constraints for understanding the tectonic deformation mechanisms of the Tibetan Plateau. The observed stress partitioning across the secondary blocks not only highlights the need for improved active block modeling but also provides new insights into the stress zonation of the Tibetan Plateau. Finally, comparison with geodetic coupling results indicates high slip tendency along several fault segments, such as the Haiyuan Tuolaishan and East Kunlun Alahu faults, which may have the potential to generate future Mw > 7.0 earthquakes. Our findings have important implications for understanding the kinematic characteristics of crustal deformation and the dynamic mechanisms of earthquake generation.
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Authors Yangyang Diao, Zhengyang Pan, Zhigang Shao, Wuxing Wang, Meiyi Li, meixuan hao
Journal geophysical journal international
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/gji/ggag311
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggag311
Keywords Keywords not found

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