66 RESEARCH IN CHINA. 
region, 4,200 feet, 1,260 meters, plus something more than roo feet, 30 meters, 
of coal-measures, plus several thousand feet of gneiss. The latter element 
is estimated by extending the Sinian strata, which occur northeast of Sin- 
t’ai, upon the there observed dip, until they intersect the fault-plane. 
This estimate gives a probable minimum displacement of 8,000 feet, 2,400 
meters. Near Sin-t’ai the displacement may be greater. The base of the 
Sinian system on the upthrow side would lie at the same altitude above 
the surface of the plain on the downthrow; this surface consists of the 
sandstones and shales of the Sin-t’ai series, whose thickness is indeterminate, 
but probably several thousand feet. Beneath these presumably lie the 
strata of the Sinian; if we admit a maximum thickness of the Sin-t’ai 
series as 12,000 feet, 3,600 meters, the displacement of the fault would not 
be less than 20,000 feet, 6,000 meters, but this is probably a very excessive 
estimate. 
A series of faults of great magnitude begins with Nh. Only a small 
section of the southern one appears in the special map of the Sin-t’a1 
district; but we followed the series northward, past Mei-yti-shan, and 
found it included one described by von Richthofen.* The length of the 
series is something more than 100 miles, 160 kilometers, in a general 
north-south direction. As its southern end it joins with the fault Ng, 
which may be considered its continuation, and, bending eastward, extends 
beyond the area of our observation (see Plate XII). The displacement 
of the fault Nh, where we have definite data for determining it, north 
of Yen-chuang, is about 4,000 feet, 1,200 meters, and does not appear 
anywhere to be more than half the displacement of the fault Na. It 
would, perhaps, be greater were it not for the fault Ni, which is an 
eastern branch of Nh and which has even larger displacement. Along 
Ni, gneiss on the upthrow side is in contact with igneous rocks which 
overlie the coal-measures to an unknown thickness. We thus have for 
this displacement the full thickness of the Sinian series and the Po-shan 
formation, probably 5,000 feet, 1,500 meters, plus an unknown amount 
of igneous rocks, plus an indeterminate thickness of gneiss; a throw of 
8,000 to 10,000 feet, 2,400 to 3,000 meters, seems a moderate estimate. 
Of the short faults which lie within the area of accurate survey, Ne 
is noteworthy for the very great variation in throw in a short distance. 
Near its eastern end the fault lies wholly in the Man-t’o formation, and 
the displacement can not exceed 200 or 300 feet, 60 or 90 meters; a short 
distance further east the break ceases altogether. Four miles, 6 kilometers, 
further west the Kiu-lung formation is thrown down in contact with gneiss, 
and we may estimate the displacement by measuring from the base of the 
Sinian in the downthrow to the same horizon in the upthrow, extended 
* China, vol. 11, p. 238, 
