阿尔金断裂是位于青藏高原北部边界的一条左旋走滑断裂，也是世界上少有的巨型活动走滑断裂之一。沿断裂大部分段落保存有清晰的地震地表破裂遗迹，但历史上并未记录到形成地表破裂的强震事件。虽然近几十年来开展了一些古地震研究工作，但长序列古地震记录的匮乏，限制了对其古地震复发特征更为准确的认识。本申请拟选择乌尊硝尔段保存有高沉积速率和强韵律地层的拉分盆地开展研究，通过布设大型三维古地震探槽，对探槽地层及强震相关变形进行精细解译，确定准确的古地震事件层位；结合碳十四和光释光测年技术，限定古地震事件年龄，建立古地震事件的长序列，进而确定古地震复发规律。以此为基础，通过与相邻段古地震序列的对比，构建区域强震破裂时空图像，检验不同地震轮回中障碍构造阻挡强震破裂扩展的能力，探讨阿尔金断裂发生级联破裂的可能性。

The Altyn Tagh fault is a left-lateral active fault along the northern boundary of Tibet Plateau and one of the few giant strike-slip faults in the world. Most sections of the fault preserved clear seismic surface ruptures, but there are no strong earthquakes producing surface ruptures recorded in histories. Although some paleoseismic studies have been conducted in recent decades, the lack of long sequence paleoseismic records limits the more accurate understanding of the recurrence characteristics of paleoearthquakes. This application intends to select the pull-apart basin, with high deposition rate and strong rhythmic strata, in the Wuzunxiaoer section to excavate a large three-dimensional trench, and determine the accurate paleoseismic event horizon through the interpretations of the strata and their deformations of strong earthquakes. The long series of earthquake records will be established by combining carbon and luminescence dating methods, showing the recurrence characteristics of paleoearthquakes. On this basis, the spatio-temporal images of strong earthquake rupture will be constructed by comparing with the adjacent paleoseismic sequences to test the blocking ability of barrier structures under different seismic cycles, and discussing the possibility of cascade rupture along different sections of the Altyn Tagh fault.