Thermal Areas Along the Kangding Fault, West Sichuan Province

Abstract

The most structural feature on LANDSAT imagery of the E Tibetan Plateau is the Kangding fault zone which 30 or more thermal areas occur within the extent of 330 The fault zone is associated with large earthquakes From an interpretation of LANDSAT imagery, field observations and fault plane solutions, it appears to be a sinistral, strike-slip fault that trends approximately and then changes to N near Kangding. Among the 30 thermal areas studied so far there are 17 areas with hot springs (45 to concentrated in the S. The other areas are characterised by warm springs and tepid springs Based on observations made in 1982, there are no boiling springs occurring The Yulingong geothermal system Kangding County is of economic interest for industrial utilization. Earthquakes have a great influence upon the activity. It is of interest to research the relationship between earthquakes and geothermal activity.