Timing of Paleoearthquakes and Seismic Hazard of the Zhuozishan West Piedmont Fault in the Northwestern Ordos Block

The Zhuozishan West Piedmont Fault (ZWPF) is an active normal fault in the northwestern corner of Ordos Block. Studying recurrence characteristics paleoearthquakes useful for understanding regional seismic hazard potential. In this study, paleoseismic trench and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods are used to determine temporal sequence paleoearthquakes. Severn earthquakes were constrained be E7 (73.4 ± 12.9 ka 75.3 10.6 ka), E6, (63.7 7.4 64.4 8.2 E5 (53.2 7.0 58.7 6.5 E4 (42.6 6.3 47.7 5.8 E3 (31.0–3.4 31.3 3.4 E2 (26.1 2.7 28.1 3.8 ka) E1 (15.8 1.9 20.2 2.6 ka). interval strong ZWPF roughly 8.1–14 ka, with magnitudes Mw 7.0–7.4 that ruptured entire fault. Based on timing latest earthquake event, elapsed time approached or exceeded revealed from Hence, we suggest Block has a significantly high potential occurrence should not underestimated.