AccScience Publishing / JSE / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/JSE025380073
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ARTICLE

Microtremor investigation and geological verification of the eastern segment, north margin active fault of Hami Basin, Xinjiang, China

Xu Song1,2,3† ,  Guanghong Ju4† ,  Jun Shen1,2,3*
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1 Institute of Disaster Prevention, Sanhe, Hebei, China
2 Beijing Disaster Prevention Science and Technology Corporation Limited, Beijing, China
3 Hebei Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Sanhe, Hebei China
4 Power China Northwest Engineering Corporation Limited, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
JSE, 025380073 https://doi.org/10.36922/JSE025380073
Submitted: 18 September 2025 | Revised: 20 November 2025 | Accepted: 24 November 2025 | Published: 23 December 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The eastern section of the Northern Margin Fault of the Hami Basin is located in the easternmost part of the active tectonic belt of the Tianshan Mountains, and is an important active fault in the region. Since major projects need to consider avoiding or adopting anti-fracture measures, it is necessary to determine the exact location of the fracture, three-dimensional (3D) orientation, and other anti-fracture-related parameters. To obtain the accurate location and 3D geometric parameters of the rupture, we carried out a systematic study in three typical sites based on remote sensing interpretation and geomorphological survey, and the comprehensive use of microdynamic detection and trench verification. The results show that the fracture section is spreading in east–west direction, with a total length of about 35 km, and is dominated by retrograde movement, which is geomorphologically manifested as a fault steep canyon on the pre-hill flood fan, with the height of steep canyon up to 11–13 m. The microdynamic profiles reveal the deep production of the fracture, with the width of the fracture zone ranging from 60 to 100 m, and the dipping angle ranging from 60° to 70°; and the trench validation reveals that the dipping angle of the faults is slowing down to 35°–45° at the surface, showing a “deep and steep” pattern, and the “deep and steep dipping angle” is also shown. The geometrical structure of the fault is characterized as “deep, steep, and shallow.” As an emerging geophysical detection method, the micro-motion detection technique used in the study showed good recognition ability in complex terrain and thick cover conditions, improving the detection accuracy of fracture location. The results of the study not only enrich the understanding of the active features of the Northern Margin Fault of the Hami Basin, but also provide the fault resistance parameters for the evaluation of regional seismic hazard and the selection of sites for major projects, and expand the scope of application of the micro-motion detection method in the study of active faults, providing an important reference for the regional tectonic evolution and seismic resistance of the project.

Keywords
Eastern segment of the Northern Margin Fault of the Hami Basin
Microdynamic detection
Groove
Geometric structure
Funding
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42172253) and received substantial support from the “Specialized Survey on Fault Distribution and Activity at the Northern Margin of the Hami Basin” project, which was jointly undertaken by China Power Engineering Consulting Group Northwest Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd. and Beijing Disaster Prevention Science and Technology Corporation Limited.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Journal of Seismic Exploration, Print ISSN: 0963-0651, Published by AccScience Publishing
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