Rate of left-lateral movement along the easternmost segment of the Altyn Tagh fault, east of 96 degrees E (China)

Field work carried out in Gansu province and complemented with analysis of SPOT panchromatic scenes allows us to characterize the deformations along the eastern segment of the Altyn Tagh fault and to place bounds on its Holocene left slip rate, East of 96 degrees E, the long-term, left-lateral offset of stream channels, alluvial fans, and terrace edges is about 50 m. These offsets are most probably of Holocene age (12 +/- 2 ka) and imply that the corresponding derived slip rate is 4 +/- 2 mm yr(-1). This observation is consistent with a north-eastward along-strike decreasing slip rate on the Altyn fault due to partitioning of slip on multiple, more easterly trending splays.