TYPES, DISTRIBUTION AND GEOLOGICAL FEATURE OF THE MAIN FAULTS IN THE SOUTHERN CHINA SEAS

The Geological-Geophysical Map Series of the Southern China Seas and Adjacent Region (1∶1 000 000) will be published soon.The Regional Tectonic Map is one of the major maps. This paper mainly discusses the types, distribution and geological features of the main faults in the mapping area. The subduction zone, collision zone, transform fault, expansive ridge fault, large slide fault, deep-and-large fault etc. are the main types of faults. The first grade faults and the second grade faults were distinguished according to the scale of the faults and the features of the controlling geo-tectonic units. The first grade faults generally the subduction zone, collision zone and the deep-and-large faults controlling tectonic domains and blocks, and the second grade faults mainly the deep-and-large faults controlling folded belts,sea basin zones, and sedimentary basins of large scale. Most of these faults are characterized by their oldness, large scale, long spread, large fault distance and reactivation.